ISLAMABAD: The first impressions are important, but they are not everything. Whether the initial impression is good or bad, knowing a person or any society is what forms an opinion. Our day-to-day interaction with people of any society and choices we make are more important. A good or bad first impression can quickly be removed by these.
My first impression after being selected as Chevening fellow wasn’t so good, as the visa process took a long time and then, without any solid reason, two of our Pakistani fellows’ visas were refused.
All the seven fellows were selected by the top officials of the British High Commission (BHC) and senior professors of the University of Westminster for Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme, a project of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). If the visas of these fellows can be denied then one can imagine what happens to the common citizens.
A large number of Pakistanis have complained about the visa refusal and the issue has been reported many a time in the media.
However, the officials in the British High Commission (BHC) in Pakistan particularly Andy Battson, the press attaché and head of Chevening programme, took up the matter seriously and ensured every fellow gets a visa. Just like the visa issues, I thought I might face some hard situation on arrival in the UK at the airport, but it went smoothly.
I faced no problem at the Heathrow airport. During our visit to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we raised the visa issues with the authorities concerned, who promised that they would look into the matter and ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
However, the eight-week Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme, a pioneering Foreign Office project at the University of Westminster, proved to be a breath of fresh air for mid-career Pakistani and Indian journalists, visiting the UK. The programme reinforced how important it is for journalists to keep pushing boundaries.
In the first week, we bonded as a group of 14 South Asian journalists from India and Pakistan as we cruised on the Thames on a crisp winter’s day, walked briskly to the British Library and gathered at the Regent Street campus every morning, where, among all the other lessons, an important one was on punctuality!
We traversed the world of the British media from the BBC, The Economist, the Frontline Club Reuters Foundation to think tanks such as Reprieve, Transparency International and English Pen. Through lectures and discussions with senior editors and journalists, social media experts and documentary makers, we gained insights about the UK media’s practices and ethics as well as their secrets of incisive storytelling. While we gained some from them, we gave some back by sharing our ideas and experiences about working in one of the most challenging regions of the world.
The programme has been an excellent opportunity for building networks and better understanding the changing dynamics of each other’s countries. Working on our research essays also gave us the opportunity to meet experts in respective fields and to get to the core of key issues.
News-wise, these have been exciting days with the Brexit debate, the no-platforming in British universities, the US elections gaining momentum, The Independent and BBC 3 going online, and tennis star, Sharapova, failing the drug test. In this context, to be in newsrooms for fieldwork at The Economist, The Guardian, The Observer, BBC, The Financial Times, Channel 4 and ITV news and The Spectator has been an enriching experience. We value what we have learnt and hope to share the knowledge back home.
It was challenging to develop an outline for the symposium on intolerance and the media; to draw a common narrative and simultaneously describe the distinct realities of Pakistan, India and the UK.
The basic idea of this fellowship was to remove stereotype existing between the three countries i.e. Pakistan, India and the United Kingdom and also see how the media in the UK works and what can we learn from them. I think the purpose was achieved as all the 14 candidates chosen for this fellowship were not only mature but professionally strong who understand the ground realities and respected each others’ point of view.
Another important thing which I observed during my interaction with the Pakistani diaspora was that some of the Pakistanis are still living with the mindset of 1970s, though Pakistan itself has moved forward over the years. The literacy rate of Pakistani community is lowest among the other Asian community living in the UK.
Another good thing happened during our stay was that both Pakistan and India high commissions in London invited journalists from the two countries as a goodwill gesture. The journalists from both sides really felt positive while visiting the high commissions of both countries.
At the end, I would like to say these two months consisted of quality time spent in the UK, having fun and making new and irreplaceable memories with new friends which will live on forever and become unforgettable. I’m lucky that I was able to gather all sorts of experiences and find inspiration by travelling around and by spending time with these friends.
