The worrying announcement by the government of setting up media tribunals in a bid to take up complaints against the media is a worrying indicator. The main principle behind having an independent media is to provide a means of checks and balances on the state. If the state chooses to turn this equation on its head and instead look to monitor perceived transgressions by these platforms, then who is left to ensure that the government is doing its job? The government's accountability drive has already locked up a significant portion of the opposition behind bars. Any move to clamp down on the media will make others in society, academics and civil society primarily, also fearful that they might be next in line.
The government must remember that the people who voted for it believe in a democratic system, and an independent press.
Qazi Jamshed Alam Siddiqui
Lahore
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