Media Analytics: What are you watching...?

I have been thinking to quantify the political temperature of the country for quite a while. Eventually I got some time this week to start with above visualisation.Once again hats off to Google for providing such lovely tools which helped me to accomplish this idea.I would also love to thank to some other websites providing me the data to plot on this chart.

The data I have plotted on the chart is from three different web sources.These three websites are providing online recorded political talk shows on their sites.Each of the these websites are getting between 30,000 to 40,000 hits per day.Data collected is aggregated on different levels and then finally aggregated data is being fed to Google API to display the results.Time series chart will be populated and updated on daily basis. Plotted time series is showing the number of viewers each political talk show getting everyday.I have selected top 8 talk shows in terms of their viewers count.

Along with updating this chart I am hoping to add more visualisations in the days to come.

God Responsible : 9 kids died in Pakistan and 15 injured

Muhammad Ejaz was 9 years old boy couldn't survive after fatal injuries along with other 12 kids in a train accident in midland Pakistan.After the incident Ejaz was rushed to the 100 km away Nishter hospital Multan in a local private vehicle along with other 12 in precarious condition. It is quiet impossible to explain in words the loss and pain of the Father of this little boy been through since this incident happened. An illiterate father who studied himself till 3rd grade and left school for economic reasons knows the importance of education.He tried his level best to adore his son with best available education in this remote town of the country.He opted The Educators School, project run by renowed Beconhouse group of schools, the most expensive school in town.When he was asked that why he had chosen that specific school he answered that state school are not providing quality education what my kid needs to cope with the challenges of 21st century. He was also bearing the cost of school van because he was aware of the fact that what comfort his son needs in order to concentrate on his studies.One other father Ghulam Hussain whose son Safder died in this tragic incident explains that in recent examination his son got 336 /350 marks.This shows that how much parents and kids were passionate about education.Rest of them who died and injured has similar accounts.

Soon after the incident when minister railways was asked about the incident, "Will his institution take the responsibility of this horrific mishap?", he clearly denied.Locally elected government representative took the stance not much different from minister railway. A famous columnist suggested in his article that people of the town should have taken the security measure on their own.He suggests that they should have erected the gate and hired a security guard for this railway level crossing by themselves. Every one is rubbing other's shoulder rather than focusing on the real issue that what went wrong and how it could have been avoided?On the same level crossing, according to MPA Mr Babar Hussain, on average 5 accidents a year are happening. Most recently Zong mobile firm engineers died in a similar incident.There are around four thousands unmanned and gate-less railway crossing in the country.Actual data can give us a better understanding that how fatal these crossing are, If we are really interested in minimising it.

Who is responsible for the tragic incident?The parents who opted this privately owned school instead of state school as they know state schools are not up-to the mark.So the sate couldn't offer them the education they needed.Parent choose the best possible travelling option in the poor city of Mian Channu for their kids.State couldn't provide the safe and secure way to them.

After the accident those kids were taken to the hospital by a private vehicle to the 100 km away hospital because state couldn't provide ambulance and local hospital was not well equipped to deal with the accidents and emergencies.This looks like a complete state failure.But we Pakistani are Muslims and we believe that it was God's will. Allah is the main culprit.

Pakistan‘s insurgency fuels Anti-US sentiments

In the midst of 2009 I came across a new terminology AFPAK reported by US media. Certainly this term was coined by the Washington based strategists in their new policy announced in last quarter of previous year. It is quite obvious that US led war against terrorism is incomplete even though 100 per cent objective are met in Afghanistan.Because radical nurseries were developed across the border in Pakistan where these radicals were trained during the cold war therefore Pakistan was considered as important as Afghanistan. Although Bush administration has realised it already and asked Musharraf to take some concrete steps but they didn’t declared it publically. Obama has taken this challenge upfront and declared it AFPAK problem openly. If Pakistan is so critical then why 30,000 thousand troop surges has been sent to Afghanistan only. If part of the problem is in Pakistan and he is not sending troops to Pakistan what options he can have or considering to tackle Pakistan issue.

Currently, two strategic operations are underway to counter this Pakistan based insurgency. Firstly, Pakistan military is fighting a proxy war against these miscreants in NWFP. There is no media coverage of this battle except the ISPR, Pakistan Army media wing, press releases. Although media and people are very skeptical about this non independent reports but still army is able to get general public support through this media stance. There is always been a trust deficit between Pakistan Army and US since the resignation of Gen. Mahmood in 2001 when this war started. In 2008, US Benazir negotiations were also the result of this trust deficit. So the political unrest in Pakistan would certainly favours US in short term. Due to short political tenures political leaders want to make most of it. Consequently the term ‘secret agreements’ is resonating across Pakistani media. Secondly, rather than fully relying on Pakistan to tackle this issue on its own US is using UAV’s to eradicate this threat in the bordering region of Pakistan.

Beside using the diplomatic channel there is much else not evident is being done to improve the situation in Pakistan. Are all these efforts bringing down anti-American sentiments in Pakistan? Clearly it is not, improving the economic conditions in Pakistan would certainly change the way people think not only about US but also about the religion. Currently Pakistan is facing a huge crisis of basic amenities of life ranging from water, food, electricity and housing. There are several institutions like steel mills, PIA and railways are collapsing. Obama’s 1.5$ billion pledge per year is good but how it will drain out by the incompetent leaders is quiet evident from their history of blunders and plunders. If US ensures that utilisation of this aid trickle down to masses, would certainly improve the quality of life and public perception will change.Improving the quality of life of ordinary man would certainly help US in achieving its objective in the region.If US can show its seriousness by solving the basic problems like electricity , food and water of Pakistan in coming years the threat ,US feels,would be minimized.

Pakistan: Salary of new KESC CEO up 35%

Source:http://www.factiva.com/ Tabish Gauhar, the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), will draw Rs1.3 million in monthly pay, 35 per cent more than what his predecessor used to get, an official announcement said on Thursday. Besides this remuneration, the CEO of loss-ridden power utility is also entitled to other contractual benefits including residential accommodation, guards at residence, annual leave, air passage and medical expenses, a KESC notice issued to Karachi Stock Exchange said.

Gauhar, one of company’s board directors, has taken the top managerial seat from Naveed Ismail who resigned on November 2, 2009, after months of fighting severe criticism of his management’s failure in resolving power crisis. The six-foot plus Ismail, whose monthly remuneration was Rs9,57,000, has become part of list of CEOs who have in recent years tried to fix KESC. He is the third CEO to be replaced since KESC was privatised in 2005. For the financial year 2008-09, KESC incurred a loss of Rs15 billion, marginally lower than previous year’s figure. But the accumulated losses have crossed over Rs60bn and the rickety transmission and distribution system is need of massive repair. Ismail’s monthly accommodation benefit was over Rs7,60,000, as per the financial statements of the company. The KESC notification did not say if new CEO will get the same deal. Though the salary of KESC boss is not comparable to what executives get in banks and other financial institutions, politicians will question the justification when the utility is stifling under financial losses and all the company costs add up to power tariff. The resignation of Naveel Ismail came just days after Zafar Aziz Osmani, the human resource guru, stepped down from the post. Qashif Effendi, another important member of the original management team formed soon after Abraaj’s takeover, has already left the organization. This team was put together amid much fanfare. Ismail was the former country head of AES. He boasted wide experience in power sector and had held key position in AES Corporation around the world. He was also President of AES Ekibastuz, a 4,000 MW coal fired power plant in Kazakhstan. Similarly, Effendi is considered a top man in marketing circles of the country and Osmani was also a known HR manager. But the management is crumbling and there is a reason why. “You can’t tell public about your Azm (commitment) towards solving the power crisis every other day when there is no respite in breakdowns,” a person familiar with the managerial matters said. “Cosmetic work won’t help and these career professionals have realized this.” The woes of the KESC and its consumers do not seem to be ending anytime soon. Electricity theft is rampant in Karachi and so far the attempts to curb it have remained futile in most cases. A government, under pressure by World Bank to do away with power subsidies, can no longer afford to resist. The raise in power tariff will reflect in bills of consumers in the city like rest of the country (KESC buys at least 20pc of electricity from WAPDA).

Political Radicalism After Religious Extremism

Two weeks after the Karachi Ashura blast, which left many dead and more than 4000 shops burnt as violence erupted after the mayhem, is still being the most discussed topic of Pakistan media today. First time in Pakistan history, despite being captured on city govt. installed CCTV cameras the culprits are on run. Inapt government officials took the usual steps to investigate the matter by forming a committee on the matter.Although FIA committee prepared the report very quickly and submitted it on 6th January but still the results are as usual.According to the leading newspaper , The Nation, an other independent committee is also investigating the matter and will also be submitting the report shortly soon.Finger crossed, if these reports can bring justice for the people who miserably suffered.

Print and electronic media has published around 20 images of culprits filtered from the CCTV footage.But the very efficient police has arrested so far 6 suspects identified by witnesses (Reported by Daily Dawn).Even after having an evidence law enforcement agencies job is not up to the mark.Number of suspects held still doesn't justifies the amount of damage done on the day.This time people were anticipating a huge break through from our law enforcement agencies and government.FIA report must be in the bin and bin must be expecting another soon.After few days whole matter will be scrapped as many before.

Still the dust of above events wasn't settled properly city suffered another blow in the form of target killing .Around 100 people are dead from different part of the city.Although these people have different political affiliations but after all they are the resident of this city.They share the same city,water,food and all other resources city is providing them in this bleak economic time. I am really sad to see these innocent people who died for their parties but parties are disowning them.Their leaders are not in the field they are in their safe houses hundred and thousand miles away.They are enjoying the desperation of the poor for their political stunts to gain cheap popularity and constituency encroachments.Even though these political gazillion will settle their differences with dignity after couple of meeting but deads can't be brought back to life.People have to understand this cheap game of politics which has been depicted by many Indian films. I am pretty sure people must have enjoyed many such films but they are so dumb they didn't figure out the message from those films.I would say this is the difference between Pakistani innocents and bit mature Indians.They are now able to understand the rules of the game but significant of us are not.

One thing is prompting me to think about these incidents is to zoom out and look them in regional scenario.Since last year some political parties has been very close to the Pakistan military establishment and as well as to the US establishment as reported by Dr. Shahid Masood in his article in The News on September 24, 2009.He mentioned the names of the top US strategists, including Bruce Riedel, John Negroponte, Richard Boucher, and current State Department officials, including Richard Holbrooke. Dr. Shahid was eagerly waiting for the outcome of this new strategic alliance interims of change in political landscape.But I would rather say that US policy makers has given a different role to new partners and it is based according to their expertise.The recently unfolded events of December and January are clearly showing the roles being given. Soon after these initially assigned jobs the David Milliband was sent by their US masters to visit Islamabad and Karachi to asses the political temperature and to say "well done". I would appreciate that this is the best strategy US can have and worse for Pakistan after Blackwater (Xe) was identified as potential threat by media.

Here we need a competent, visionary and patriotic leadership which can handle 21st century challenges the country is facing. Although the present leadership is trying their level best but we shouldn't be too optimistic.