My optimism was short-lived, however. Just a week later Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's pointed reference to pop music being one of the major causes for vulgarity and obscenity in our society redrew the battle lines between us and them. It took only one government directive to completely negate ten years of painstaking efforts by our generation of artists to help develop a culture and an industry which specifically caters to the youth. This industry, it might be added,has generated thousands of jobs for young Pakistanis. Salman Ahmed of Junoon - at present one of the leading guitarists in Pakistan Nawaz Sharif's orders to PTV and STN have resulted in a complete ban on pop music on television.
Efforts are underway to ban public pop concerts as well.
Pop musicians who until recently were being projected as modern symbols of national unity have overnight been labelled as the pariahs of Pakistani culture. The world as it now stands has become a global village. News, events, trends in fashion and music travel across geographical borders and into people's homes at the press of a button. If you get bored easily you can switch to a sports channel and watch cricket, tennis or golf being beamed to you from all four corners of the globe. Apart from entertainment you have 24-hour news channels to keep you up to date with what's going on in the world.