Value dissent, not silence

Head of PPP Media Cell

Yet another attack on journalist, this time Absar Alam, a well-known journalist, who was injured by the gunshot but luckily survived because the life threatening parts of the body remained safe by a narrow escape. He is out of danger now but the criminal and his backers’ timing and location hardly left any room for luck. But, the Almighty foiled the plan of the evil-doers resulting in saving journalist’s life -- saving the family from suffering irreparable loss -- and escaping the fatal blow to media freedom movement that was already under threat from the overt and covert quarters.

It was obviously a targeted attempt meant to silence the voice of dissent that the journalist courageously vowed to continue to fight for the cause of freedom of press despite the dangers. The trend of this sort had been increasingly going up against the journalists since the ‘hybrid system’ came into existence in 2018.

The uptick of gruesome incidents against journalists hardly invoked a measurable response of the government to rectify the situation that had been going from bad to worse. The official lackluster in this count was preposterous if not vicious.

The record of murders and mysterious picking ups of journalists, followed by the abject performance of the Law Enforcement Agencies, clearly cast aspersions on the authorities in undertaking their constitutional responsibilities with requisite seriousness. How miserable is the state of affairs that no criminal worth the name has been arrested so far during the period despite the numerous cases of violence, abduction and elimination of the voices of dissent? The fear is, it will continue because criminals are seemingly having the free hand to unleash horror and genocide against the media persons without fear of legal consequences of their culpability.

The violence against the recalcitrant journalists in particular seemingly carries the impunity, and conviction to culprits as per law remained a far-fetched cry.

Apparently, the connivance to undermine the freedom of media may continue in the face of lassitude of powerful state and non-state actors. The repeated occurrence of such contemptible crimes is indeed a slap on the face of judiciary and the government also for their failure to protect the life and property of the citizens considering it as their prime constitutional obligation. The criminals of this type consider them above law without any fear of accountability. This culture of impunity unleashes more violence against media persons, and number of such cases during past more than two years quantifies the gruesome trend.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and others mainstream leaders had condemned the targeted firing incident causing grave injury to journalist, Absar Alam. They had stressed upon the government to arrest the culprits at the earliest to bring them to justice. The government ministers and leaders had also reportedly taken the notice of the incident as usual. The notice might not be consequential if judged from past miserable record in similar cases. The readymade media statements may meet the same fate like in other such cases of murder, disappearances and intimidation of media people. The eerie mystery may continue to shroud over the cases as no headway in such cases has come to the public notice yet.

The indifference of the state towards the stifling of the freedom of press amounts to stopping journalists from shedding light on the dark dungeons of the conspirators and their executioners.

Sadly, Pakistan has been judged by the international media organisations and the Human Rights Watch outfits as one of the most dangerous countries of the world for the working journalists. The murder of WSJ, Daniel Pearl, and acquittal of the accused optimised the stigmatisation of the image of the country seemingly beyond repair. It also laid bare the prosecution and administration of the justice system of the country. In the present perspective, the lack of political commitment to guarantee the freedom of speech and media as enshrined in the Article 19 of the Constitution may not be starker. The media censorship has become norm than exception.

The reports that journalists have been subjected to threats, directly or through their employers, have been frequently posted on social media though eavesdropping in this regard has been making rounds quite often. Not only that, the Damocles’ sword of shifting TV channels number to shrink their viewing, and even punitive financial penalties by (Pemra), are well in public polemic. Putting TV channels off the air or suspending their transmissions on spacious grounds have been off and on without any compunction. Yet, the top leadership’s claims of freedom of media may either reflect flawed sense of proportion, or understanding rooted in self-righteousness.

The international media organisations like Committee to Journalists, Freedom Network, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have been highlighting the plight of journalists time and again in Pakistan, but to no avail so far because the grinding of media has been going on without fleeting moments to the contrary.

The overtly and covertly petty practices of gagging the media have been continuing notwithstanding that the media representative organisations like Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Newspapers Editors (CPNE), have been decrying the curbs on media. Double jeopardy is the vast and unprecedented reach of the social media to the masses has indeed taken toll on the mainstream media as the information cannot be stopped from dissemination in this digital age.

This has been playing out to the utter disadvantage TV channels and the newspapers as news providers. Also, the government’s step-motherly treatment has made the conditions perilous for the survival of media sector. A large number of journalists are being laid off reflecting the media industry in crisis. The big cut off in the size of cake of government advertisements -- blood line of media — has devastated the small and medium media outlets in particular while the big media houses have been grappling to survive. Secondly, inordinate delay in the payments of the dues to the newspaper industry by the government is another reason of dragging media outlets to the brink.

Thirdly, perceived inequitable disbursement of the government advertisements, depending on policy of the particular media outlet, has been adding to the financial woes of media organisations particularly those who prefer the quality of journalism over monetary gains.

The government advertisements are the bloodline of the media all over the world and Pakistan’s media industry is no exception. The use of this toll to gag media may not be justified in a democratic dispensation that warrants indispensability of free and robust media.

Freedom of media is sine qua non of a functioning democracy. Without it the democracy may be nothing more than the ‘empty words’ as aptly put up by Justice Qazi Faez Isa during the hearing of the case of dissolution of local government in Punjab. Islamabad High Court, while underscoring the importance of free media narrated a quote, ‘Without freedom of press, dumb and silent people, like sheep will be led to slaughter’. In a democracy, rule of law, robust civil society, dynamic parliament and free media are the indispensable elements. In the absence of any of the elements mentioned democracy will be devoid of the democratic principles, conventions and practices. Above all, contrary to the aspirations of the people.

The incumbent leadership of the ruling elite is apparently not paying heed to these profoundly important dimensions of democracy as the media continues to gasp for air while oxygen is soaked up by series of curbs foisted upon overtly and covertly.

The Article 19 of the Constitution, while guaranteeing freedom of media, equally makes the exercise of the right incumbent upon taking into account reasonable limits as defined in the same article. The root of the problem is the government and its agencies do not generally follow the legal course against those who seemingly violate the law. Rather, they are accustomed of judging their own cause instead of seeking the legal course. They use their instruments of power at hand to silence the voice of dissent before it reaches to the street. It may be working well in their perspective. But, the numerous exceptions of bold journalists outrage them to break the threshold of their tolerance that is prone to immediate necessary action like the use of third degree tactics against the recalcitrant journalists. This is shocking if not utterly shameful.

No doubt, freedom of press was exemplary during the previous two democratic governments, (PPP) and PMLN when the leadership took the media criticism at their chin considering it alright even when a boggy of media was supposedly carrying and projecting the brief of the opponents of the elected governments.

The record bears witness to the facts that there was no single case of victimisation of journalists during the PPP government led by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. It is also worthwhile to mention, regardless of the little apprehension of distraction, that there was not a single political prisoner during the same period. Functioning of democracy was at its best that passed 18th Amendment with consensus ensuring the federal, parliamentary and democratic character of the Constitution badly mutilated by the successive dictators. Tailpiece: Pakistan’s offer for medical supplies to India is welcomed.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com