Let it go

The simmering conflict between the government and journalists over the contentious Pakistan Media Development Authority appears to be heading to a showdown with the latter, supported by nearly all major opposition parties, planning a daylong protest sit-in outside parliament during President Arif Alvi’s address next week. The PMDA bill, which gained momentum earlier this year, aims to merge the various laws overseeing the country’s media and film industry, and give the government-controlled authority power to inspect media offices and seize broadcast equipment without any notice or judicial oversight. Violators of its many stringent provisions, which includes obtaining annual NOCs even for digital content producers, could reportedly face up to three years in jail and millions in fines. The authority’s foray into policing cyber space – which is perhaps the last remaining place where ideas and views can be disseminated without censorship – is extremely worrisome. As a result, both local and international journalists’ welfare organisations and rights’ groups have vehemently decried the proposed legislation, terming it draconian and akin to a media martial law, and called on the government to shelve its plans forthwith. But the ruling party has disregarded all criticism and does not appear to be backing down, with the information minister instead blaming proponents of ‘fake news’ and ‘anti-worker media owners’ as being behind the opposition to the bill. The information ministry has also repeatedly made assurances of having taken the input of all stakeholders – a claim denied by journalists’ bodies and unions – and has strangely failed to present a draft of the bill.

The proposed law appears to have been taken out of the global authoritarian playbook. Even though the country’s once-robust media is a shadow of its former self owing to myriad economic and state pressures over the last few years, it appears that even veiled criticism or diverging from set narratives cannot be tolerated anymore. Established media organisations that have played their role as the robust fourth estate over the years during the most repressive of regimes are once again being dubbed anti-state and part of a warped conspiracy to defame and isolate Pakistan internationally. Instead, it is really such actions by the government that end up placing the country extremely low on human and digital rights rankings, and jeopardising its various international economic agreements that come with human rights commitments.

With the global gaze transfixed once more on this region vis-a-vis the situation in Afghanistan and the state concerned about its global perception, those at the helm must realise that only a completely independent media will be able to help formulate and then project a unified narrative to the outside world. Select mouthpieces with zero credibility both at home and abroad are not the allies this country needs and will find no serious audience in the world. While there is certainly room for improvement in the country’s existing media laws, especially with regards to protecting workers’ rights, as well as regulating the conduct of traditional and digital media, any change must come from within, instead of being bulldozed from above. It is still not too late for the government to hold out a white flag and resolve the impending – and completely unnecessary – confrontation with the media industry.