Media under dark cloud

To protest against recent legislation that restricts press freedoms, Australia's major newspapers on Monday ran front pages made up to appear heavily redacted. Australia has no constitutional safeguards for free speech. In this country, media groups often point out presence of certain curbs on press freedoms. What earned the Australian media the latest slap are stories like coverage alleging war crimes committed by Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan. There are reports of police raids on newspaper offices and residences of journalists. The government insists the curb on media freedom is dictated by national security, but journalists have launched a 'Right to Know' campaign. Even when colonialism is history, the concept of national security still rules supreme, and to it Australia is no exception. Asked why these restrictions, the government says "no one is above law". And what happens to whistleblowers, ask Julian Assange.

In Pakistan, even when the Australian newspapers' protest was widely reported no one is greatly surprised to see the redacted front pages. It is not a news that during the Zia regime the dummies of newspaper editions to be printed were censored by the Press Information Department. The news items and comments that didn't fit the official line had to be dropped. And when an Islamabad daily appeared with blank spaces for the censored items, the newspaper management was threatened with withdrawal of accreditation. That threat remains in force even now when we have an elected government. Day after day, there are incidents of dissenting journalists being attacked, rebellious media houses warned of advertisement denial and formation of 'media courts' to dole out official largesse. Only a couple of days ago, the Asian coordinator of Watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Steven Butler, was refused entry in Pakistan, because he is placed on the 'Stop List', prepared by the interior ministry. He had a valid visa and was invited to attend the Asma Jehangir Conference in Lahore. Butler didn't know that he was on the 'Stop List', and why so there was no reply. A few weeks back, the telecast of former president Asif Ali Zardari's interview was interrupted. And also, the transmission of three TV channels were abruptly suspended because they were to air the press conference of opposition leader Maryam Nawaz. During his Washington visit Prime Minister Imran Khan laughed after he was asked about the curbs on press in Pakistan. His reply was: 'it's a joke' only to be derided by the RSF. "There is nothing funny about this joke for journalists in your country," the Watchdog said.

Pakistan ranked 142 in RSF's Press Freedom Index for 2019, down from 139 from last year. According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), media coverage was severely inhibited amid a 'climate of intimidation'. Unfortunately, however, there is no indication that the government is going to give up on its dictatorial mindset. Sometime back, the cabinet approved a plan to form media courts. But the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) saw through this game plan; it rejected it on grounds that the proposed government move is 'aimed at intimidating and strangulating media freedom of expression'. Accepted, the Imran Khan government is currently pitted against strong political opposition, and looks towards media for help. Given the media conviction to report objectively it cannot do much about it. And, as for the sacrosanct national security in Pakistan people are more committed to national cause than a government. Given the wide reach of communication services nothing is secret anymore. Therefore, instead of interrupting the reach of media to the people the government should exploit this reach by putting on display its own point of view.