The Imrana case has once again exposed the journalists who lack the expertise on their subject and rush to conclusions without understanding the real issue. Some of the correspondents who were rushed to the spot after the incident lacked understanding of Muslim personal law.
They did not understand the terminologies and had no knowledge whatsoever of the problem. Some reporters tended to be commentative. Even the senior persons on the desk of news channels came out as hopeless people. The problem is when the Aalim (singular for Ulema) says a common Arabic or Urdu word and the terminology is not understood by the reporter or the coordinator of the programme. Either the person conducting the programme should do some homework before embarking on the complex issues or leave it for specialists. What a situation it is when the cleric says Khula which is about a woman's right seeking divorce (here Kh is not Hindi 'kha' as in Khana but Arabic Khe as in Khazana) but the journalists thinks it is Khula (Hindustani) that means open.
Such ridiculous situations occurred frequently. It was NDTV that once again appeared serious, sympathetic and unbiased. Other channels fell prey to the Shahbano Syndrome and did not know what to make out of the issue except sensationalising and sermonising.
