Pak soldiers fighting Taliban set for celebrityhood
ISLAMABAD: Pakistans Taliban-fighting soldiers are set for celebrity status with the launch of a multi-million-dollar glossy television drama hailing army victories over militants.
Emotive tales of 11 brave Pakistanis battling an Islamist insurgency that is plaguing Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan, will air on the small screen in an army-funded drama that casts the anti-terror fight in a positive light.
Focused on the heroism of soldiers fighting a key air and ground offensive in the northwestern Swat valley in 2009, one tale looks at the deeds of soldier Hawaldar Naeem Asghar who died fighting an insurgent checkpoint.
Asghar, portrayed as a hardworking soldier from peasant roots, sacrifices his life to overcome Taliban dug into a hilltop, during operations in the town of Mingora to flush militants from the picturesque valley.
Hawaldar Asghars story is a common mans story. Its a message to the public that everybody can play a role in the fight against extremism, says Sajjad Saji, one of the drama serials writers.
It is filmed to encourage the common people in this war, he adds.
The basic purpose is to reveal the deeds of bravery of our soldiers, officers and civilians who are at the front of this war.... This drama shows the human face of the war, said Major General Athar Abbas, head of the armys publicity wing.
The nation should own these stories of bravery and sacrifice, they should be proud of our sons and daughters of the land who created these true stories with their blood and defended the motherland.
One of the filmmakers, who refused to be named, said the high-end production was a multi-million-dollar effort, but declined to put a precise figure on costs.
We travelled extensively to film this serial. A crew of more than 35 people with trucks of luggage roamed in the forests and hills for months to show the reality, said Khawar ! Azhar, t he shows executive producer.
The former tourism hotspot of Swat slipped out of government control after a radical cleric led an
uprising in July 2007, beheading opponents, burning schools and fighting to enforce a harsh brand of Islamic law.
Pakistan launched a blistering air and ground offensive in the valley after militants marched out of Swat and advanced to within 100 km of the capital Islamabad in April 2009.
After heavy fighting that displaced an estimated two million people, the military declared the region back under army control last summer and efforts have begun to revive the local economy amid sporadic outbreaks of violence.
Television productions are one of the tools adopted by militarys publicity wing to polish its image and boost recruitment and morale at a key juncture in anti-Taliban efforts and with religious conservatism on the rise.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked attacks since government forces launched an attack against militants in a mosque in Islamabad in 2007.
The television drama depicts the bitter divide between Pakistans opposing cultures as the moderate middle class fights religious extremism in a country
fractured by deep regional political divided.
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