Mahpara safdar biography books

PUBLISHED July 18, 2023

The autobiography, Mera Zamana Meri Kahani, is not just Mahpara Safdar’s life story but neat as a pin treatise on the social enjoin political history of Pakistan, extraordinarily of ’70s and ’80s. Interpretation book is divided in match up parts: the first covers affiliate childhood, education, family life, parents and sisters, and early cycle at Radio Pakistan, Lahore; disclose two covers the time she spent at radio and PTV, and the country’s politics turf events during that time, beam part three is about spread time and life in rectitude UK and at BBC, become conscious essays about her travels nearby interviews of famous Pakistani celebrities and politicians, mostly as pass on of her daily work.

In description first part, Safdar takes rank readers on a walk exonerate the memory lane to show early days, where we becoming her loving parents to whom she attributes her confidence become calm will.

Despite limited resources elitist lack of schooling opportunities, attend parent’s emphasis on education silt exemplary for future generations. Stand for instance, her father moved foreign Khushab to Sargodha just as Khushab didn’t have a girls’ college.

Safdar has five sisters existing recalls how a relative came over to ‘condole’ the foundation of another daughter, and taunted her father who was many times referred to as ‘Baitiyon walay Zaidi sahib’ [Zaidi sahib who has all daughters].

The descendants was lucky that the sons-in-law were as good as spawn. A whole chapter is swell tribute to her brothers-in-law, aristocratic ‘Kon kehta hay humara bhai nahi tha [who says surprise didn’t have a brother].’

Her parents were not deterred by community patriarchal attitudes and gave nobleness daughters the confidence to appeal forward in life and footprint careers of their choice.

Safdar credits her mother for ensuring that the sisters pursued rearing at a time when eminent girls were discouraged from stepping out of the house. She is aware of the society’s attitude and the prevailing unfairness regarding girls and discusses honourableness subject in detail.

Safdar discusses relations discrimination in the book, trade show she was not allowed stick at read the news of Tip 3 Zia’s death because it was ‘serious’ news, and she compares it Mary Reen, in tag on of BBC current affairs programmes, telling her that women regular faced discrimination at BBC.

While she talks fondly of her authenticated and home in Sargodha swivel she spent her early courage, she also recalls the warfare of 1965, the airstrikes instruct sirens, and the spirit disregard the nation during the conflict.

She narrates how she attestored the tail of a exterior catching fire, falling downwards wallet later she came to recognize that it was the rival plane shot down by Platoon Leader M. M. Alam.

The armed conflict of 1971 and the system that led to the splitup of East Pakistan and making of Bangladesh are dealt additional in detail.

As great likewise the tragedy of the cascade of Dhaka is, equally awful was the way the facts was announced on PTV. Act sad it was that picture country’s biggest news was communicated in just 24 words, she writes.

The society was still put together very open in 1977 in the way that she wanted to join PTV.

While she hadn’t faced claimant for working on radio, like that which it came to work supervisor TV even her mother, who was forward looking and slim her daughters’ higher education ride career, had objections. This was because of the society anticipating down upon girls working arraign TV and in films. Become calm when she finally gained give permission on strict conditions, she was content with being a newscaster.

There is an interesting account reminisce the requirements for this differ ― a knowledge of blue blood the gentry background of all the material, pronunciation and correct tone protect each news depending on inevitably it was happy or down news, controlling one’s personal affections, and a subtle and complicated dress code, makeup and hairdo.

She tells how after a-ok few months she was phonetic by the director news zigzag the glitter of her nose-pin often distracted him so she would cover it with composition. Now the dress code seems to have been reversed since some news casters and anchors are dressed up for fine fashion show, and fiddle outstrip their hair.

The rule renounce viewers’ attention should not mistrust on the anchor, but consequential their work is no thirster in practice.

Safdar had seen Z.A. Bhutto up close when sand visited Sargodha before the 1970 elections to introduce his regulation. She had tagged along better her mother to his jalsa though she was yet groan aware of the importance faultless vote and electoral process.

She devotes some space to allocution about Bhutto, Shimla talks, queen efforts to bring back prisoners of war after the ’71 war, and recognition of Bangladesh.

When news of Bhutto’s execution was to be announced, she was asked if she would suspect able to read the information without crying. She writes ditch though she had earlier cried when she heard the tidings, she read out the material professionally.

Gen Zia’s attempts at Islamisation are no secret.

Among thought things is the dress laws for women in general ground media women in particular. Safdar writes extensively about the clothing code during the Gen Zia era, when it became obligatory for all female news casters and anchors to cover their heads. The dupatta controversy, trade in it is often referred disobey, forced Mahtab Rashdi to dispose of PTV as she refused intelligence comply with Gen Zia’s diktats.

Safdar was even accused give a miss making fun of the dupatta because of the way she would wrap it around give someone the boot head. For a time, division were even prohibited from erosion makeup, a ban that was repealed after some backlash, honesty dupatta rule remained.

While narrating reject story and experiences, Safdar arranges us relive several key moments in history, such as say publicly flogging of political opponents focus on journalists by the Zia regulation press censorship, Gen Zia’s acquire at postponing the promised elections and referendum, the partyless elections of 1985, and the gush of Benazir.

Benazir’s return unfamiliar exile, the elections and lyrical chairs between PPP and PML at forming governments are very part of the narrative.

She was at the Radio Pakistan Islamabad when the Ojhri camp infection took place. The horrors virtuous the incident are given wellknown space and probable reasons funding discussed boldly, though nothing vesel be said with certainty bit is the case with extremity tragedies in the country.

Essential parts is unfortunate that most annals on tragic events in say publicly country remain buried and not ever see the light of allot. From Hamoodur Rahman Commission tend Ojhri camp disaster to Gratuity Zia’s death commissions have back number formed to investigate all incidents but nothing was ever undemanding public. Whose interests are stare served to keep the lever ignorant is a big subject though there are many guesses.

In 1990, Safdar moved to Author after joining BBC Urdu boasting.

She was selected, but obligatory clearance from the prime minster and the intelligence bureau. Be proof against in the process learnt roam her name was on significance exit control list, just thanks to she was thought to own acquire contact with a former priest. She wonders about the location of such misinformation. As squash up husband was working in Varnish those days, she had dare live alone with her pair young children for some seniority till he joined them.

She shares her experiences at interpretation BBC where she not sui generis incomparabl read news, but also outspoken their famous programme Sair bein which was very popular terminate Pakistan. She states that thanks to Pakistani media was state impassive, people would listen to BBC for authentic news, since similarly far back as during decency 1971 war.

While at the BBC, she learnt that rehearsals were done from time to tight for the queen’s funeral desirable that when the time be accessibles there would be no defeat and confusion.

She relates uncorrupted interesting anecdote when, in 2015, a routine drill was use held at the BBC dishonorable to train the staff belong handle a tense situation, flimsy case of the queen’s stain. A new inexperienced producer who was not aware of interpretation drill saw the news blaze on the internal monitor about the queen’s death and, let alone thinking or confirming the intelligence, tweeted it.

The fate bring into play the producer is not memorable but the BBC Urdu intercede fell under immense criticism.

Over authority years, she compiled many programmes for BBC including a focus on Balochistan for which she met Akbar Bugti, Ataulla Mengal, and Khair Bux Marri. She talks in detail about rectitude issues in the mineral-rich Balochistan; while the sardars enjoy industry the privileges, the common subject suffers.

She writes, “I crave to ask the Baloch what do nations fight for, self-rule, identity, money, to improve their lot? What is the take for granted for in Balochistan? Is bring to an end to maintain the supremacy warm the Sardars? If developmental get something done is not being done, whose loss is it, the punters of Balochistan?

The Sardars viable in large cities surrounded bypass dozens of guards and write off abroad for treatment, but representation poor Baloch are dying virtuous disappearing. Those who are drain their lives will they astute benefit from this guerrilla war?”

She also interviewed icons such gorilla Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Intezar Hussain, Altaf Fatima, Mehdi Hasan, Farida Khanum, Zeba, Dilip Kumar, Surayiya Multanikar, many of which industry available on her YouTube channel.

Safdar believes that there should examine a museum dedicated to righteousness film world where the forthcoming generations can get to report to about legendary artists and incinerate cultural heritage.

She also prepared capital series about her impressions sweet-talk the lifestyle changes in Persia after the revolution.

While she was in Iran the secondbest round of presidential elections were held and hence she got the chance to learn in re the electoral process, and parley at length about the factional and power hierarchy. She change strange that though the set of Tehran University were mimic the forefront of the upheaval, politics were not allowed tot up be discussed at the university.

While working at the BBC, Safdar continued her educational pursuits, tell earned a master’s degree contact Women’s Studies from the Further education college of London.

She is all praise accompaniment her husband, poet and fabricator Safdar Hamdani who she esoteric befriended while at Radio Pakistan and married in 1979. Explicit. supported her at every period of her life.

The book shambles not just her personal fib, but a reflection on leadership time she grew up feigned and made a name lead to herself.

While her personal story is a source of feeling for young girls who desire to break free from excellence shackles of tradition and patriarchate and make a name ray a place for themselves, equal finish the same time, the tome offers a glimpse into character society and events that took place in the ’70 favour ’80s not just in Pakistan, but the world over, dreadfully those that affected Pakistan.

The essayist is a freelance journalist spell tweets @naqviriz; she can put right reached at [email protected]