Karachi — April 30, 2012
German journalist Joachim Holtz has observed that more & more Europeans were reading ‘Made in Pakistan’ on textiles they bought back home: “Then you have excellent young managers, doctors (many of whom female); you have a new generation to change the country, to change the image or non-image! I tell you”. He was speaking about changed perception regarding Pakistan after his visit, here at Karachi Press Club.
Consul General of Germany Dr. Tilo Klinner, while introducing Joachim Holtz informed that he had worked for the leading German public TV broadcaster ZDF & gained fame through his assignments as foreign correspondent in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), USA, the USSR/Russia & China. Currently he teaches TV journalism at the Technical University of Dresden. Klinner said that during his three-year-tenure here he intended to organize events to ameliorate the image of Pakistan (in Germany) & inviting a senior journalist was the first of that series.
He said that from the very beginning he realized that people should come here to get first hand knowledge & find out the new picture, discovering the hidden aspects. He stressed on promoting meaningful tourism, organizing conferences etc., “whatever you can do to bring people here”. He observed though – thanks to the works of German Orientalist Annemarie Schimmel – knowledge about aspects like Sufism was not alien to Germans, it must be made known to wider circles.
Joachim Holtz, while referring to Gyari avalanche misfortune, pointed out that Germans were not only the first to reach Himalayas to help Pakistanis, they were still there. Showing articles published last March in the leading German newspaper (read by the influential) reporting Literature Festival held here recently, he maintained that complimentary pieces like ‘An Oasis of Free Speech’ & ‘Who Dances Here Does Not Dance for Fun’ (about Sufism) also appeared along with negative reports.
“You have one more friend now! I would not have said that if I had any bed experience here”, said Joachim Holtz. Though foreign affairs had been the main topic of most of his professional life it was his first visit to Pakistan. As ‘an outsider looking in’ he said that (except for the Foreign Ministry or some Company Headquarters) for common Germans there was no image of Pakistan at all. He said that for German public at first sight Pakistan was just an Islamic country of Asia. “On second sight there is an awkward feeling, feeling of fear & also of respect. A hazy imagination of strange people in a far away country.
Germans know little about your history; your millenniums old culture; the Partition; invention of the name Pakistan; they don’t know about Mohammad Ali Jinnah; they don’t know about your beliefs. However, Germans are aware of trouble with India; I remember the (Francis Gary Power’s) reconnaissance (U2) plane that was used to spy on Russia, at that time you were the closest ally of America; General Ayub Khan; what Zia-ul-Haq did; Bhutto; Benazir Bhutto…And yes, we know about your mangoes & passion for cricket. Actually Pakistan is mentioned in German media especially since Germany is involved in the NATO adventure in Afghanistan. Then it is well known that Pakistan is a nuclear (weapon) power while Germany is not”.
