World | Pakistan
Real-life political drama upstages Hindi soaps
The political drama surrounding Pervez Musharraf's impeachment move and his exit as president have easily surpassed for viewership the widely popular Hindi soap operas on Indian-based satellite TV channels since last week.
- By Kamila Hyat, Correspondent
- Published: 23:28 August 24, 2008
Lahore: The political drama surrounding Pervez Musharraf's impeachment move and his exit as president have easily surpassed for viewership the widely popular Hindi soap operas on Indian-based satellite TV channels since last week.
Families that used hang on to every word of the artists in an attempt to guess the course of the plots within the plots of the family dramas have switched their cares to real-life political squabbling.
The plot thickened as the ruling allies closed in to impeach Musharraf. Heroes and villains were present in plenty. An air of revenge hung everywhere. New plots and counter-plots unfolded with each passing hour.
Within homes, family members wrestle for control over remote controls, flicking between the multiple 24-hour Pakistani news channels which have been having a field day as the political crisis continues, with talk shows, new "breaking news" with much conjecture holding sway. "Frankly I think the government-vs-President Musharraf show is more exciting than any fictionalised drama, but my mother doesn't always agree," said Sidra Ali, 21, a student an former soap addict, who has now switched to political shows as her favourite choice of viewing.
Fierce competition
The competition among rival news channels has also been fierce over the past week. In Lahore, a city known for its love of gambling, many people had laid wagers on whether Musharraf would stay or go, with bookies across the city accepting bets all through the day.
"Since no cricket matches are on and Pakistan is out of the Olympic hockey competition, this issue of whether the president will resign or not was currently the one most people were betting on," said Fawwad Omar, who runs a small betting business near the busy Liberty Market area. Though betting is illegal in Pakistan, many illicit operations function.
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