KARACHI:
Obscene videos have been recently emerging on social media. These vulgar videos specifically targeted politicians belonging to both the opposition and the government. Earlier an organised campaign was launched against certain selected members of the judiciary. It is surprising that these videos do not seem to bother either the PTA, the law enforcement agencies or any other state regulatory bodies who are known for imposing a ban of the slightest of pretexts.
Here, a question arises as to why the state shows tolerance for such malicious content being shown on the internet while it reacts instantaneously when such a detestable campaign is initiated against certain select members of the paid elite. While elected office holders are open to public scrutiny and criticism, they have the right to protect their private lives and not be subjected to slanderous campaigns aimed at their character assassination. There exists a cyber-crime agency in Pakistan whose job is to regulate such content.
We must realise that politicians play a vital role in any democracy, especially in a country created through a democratic struggle. It is the responsibility of the state and all its paid institutions to ensure that there is a level playing field for all registered political parties, so that they can interact with their electorate in the pursuit of their political objectives.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2021.
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