Deceptive freedom

Our media may on the surface look free. We have, over the years, seen a rapid multiplication of news outlets, notably of TV channels, and also of FM radio stations. But there is a deception in this. While talk shows, discussion programmes and news bulletins may seem to display a great deal of media freedom, the reality is quite different. In essence, there are topics that few dare discuss and as the Paris-based organisation, Reporters Without Borders, reported in its latest publication, there have been an increasing number of attacks on media professionals in Pakistan. A few weeks ago, a journalist in Balochistan was murdered in his home; before that, there have been numerous other killings of journalists all over the country. In all, 56 journalists in Pakistan have been killed since 1992 according to international monitoring groups.

In some cases of violence against journalists, criminal mafias and political elements appear to be responsible; in others, the hand of terror outfits cannot be ruled out. The purpose, of course, is to silence voices and prevent the truth from emerging. The state has essentially failed in its duty to offer journalists the security they need to pursue their profession without fear of death. The current state of affairs has meant that fewer media professionals are willing to risk exploring stories which may be of huge public interest, but bringing them into limelight may put lives in jeopardy. Government organisations do not help matters either. Media advisories, something Pakistani newspapers have been familiar with since the earliest days of the country’s inception, continue to come in, in essence acting as a warning against what can be written and what should be avoided when it comes to certain issues. Restricting freedom in this manner inflicts more harm than good. Journalists, whether they operate in remote parts of the country or in mega cities, essentially have no protection. This makes them the easiest of targets and the attacks on them act to eliminate dissent in a society desperately in need of free, open discussion and a wider range of thought.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th,  2015.

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