What was witnessed in Islamabad and Lahore was surely not the work of a democratic regime. If so, what sort of a government are we being ruled by?
THE police in Lahore and Islamabad was ‘in action’ recently. Shifting focus from VVIP movements, the ‘action’ was targeted towards disrupting peace. As if the use of force and terror against journalists wasn’t enough, the police higher-ups decided to move against human rights campaigners.
The recent gathering of men and women organized by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Joint Action Committee of People’s Rights in Lahore, to stage a mixed marathon was disrupted by a police force which didn’t think twice about using brute force, and hauled up 40 activists.
Following the manhandling of Asma Jehangir and Iqbal Haider, the official version said the action was taken on the orders of the Lahore Nazim, Mian Amir Mahmood. The point is that nothing enlightened or moderate can be salvaged in the roughing up of women, their clothes torn and verbally abused with, “we have orders to strip you in public.” ‘Enlightenment’ and ‘moderation’, you may well remember, are the key words for the sitting government, and yet the words had no practical meaning on that fateful day.
The incident, which followed the recent spate of aggression against journalists, was another incomprehensible stroke of governance, leaving us wondering about the kind of mindset behind such a grotesque behaviour.
International press groups and local media are still voicing their outrage at the rough handling of mediapersons by the police on what ironically happened to be the Press Freedom Day. The bizarre and brutish turn of events in Islamabad and Lahore on a day earmarked for commemoration by the media was illogical, to say the least, and cannot be brushed off as just another whimsical act of the regime in power. Strong statements continued to pour in for days the print, broadcast, online media and monitoring agencies globally, condemning the unprovoked attacks, but the reasons behind such lunacy remain unexplained to this day.
After living through years of prejudice of one variety or the other, the media and peace groups in Pakistan are more or less used to hypocrisies practised by all kinds of governments — military or political. And though we have understood that misrepresentation is one of the prime functions of government intelligence, in addition to thug tactics, hooliganism and duplicity, no underlying motive comes to mind to help one understand or rationalize the recent insane behaviour of the police.
Incidentally, the World Press Freedom Day was this year dedicated to the theme, ‘Media and Good Governance’. UNESCO chief Koochiro Matsuura highlighted the theme, saying in his address: “As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, let us remember that free and pluralistic media provide a solid foundation for good governance, development and peace.” While the UN was reiterating the ‘commitment to removing all obstacles to press freedom’, in Pakistan, journalists were being thrown behind the bars for, well, for reasons best known to the government.
Even if the action against the media was not initiated by the government as stated in the official statement, it is the government’s own ‘thug tactic’ coming home to roost. While on the one hand our suave president in his chic suits relentlessly promotes the ‘soft image’ of Pakistan (with a not-so-debonair consort trying to edge in by doing his bit of foreign ‘relationing’ with the likes of Jolie), on the other hand, the over-active brutes of the hit squad go and do something ‘overtly’ foolish, which can’t even be cloaked in the traditional garb of national interest.
On that day in Islamabad, no national interest was at stake when police commandos pounced on the journalists and huddled them off to the police lockup in Sihala. The 37 journalists, including quite a few women, were simply commemorating an international event.
In Lahore the same day, no national interest was at stake when journalists were again baton-charged and brutally injured while marching to the Press Club to celebrate Press Freedom. The rest that followed is history and this event too would simply fill in another column of senseless state oppression against the media in Pakistan.
All rhetorical expressions have simply become repetitive. After fifty something years, nothing has changed much except the softer and more pop-looking fagade. The Official Secrets Act is still in effect and the media watch dogs rate the media in Pakistan under the title: ‘not free’. But if it were that simple, perhaps the press would be able to put up a fight. It is the duplicity which disgusts. While Altaf Hussain, from miles afar, can still address gatherings of thousands and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal can call for strikes and announce launching of caravans and million marches, peaceful celebrations of the media and HR groups are treated to violence. There has to be a bit of method to the madness — even by men in uniform! In fact, the million march (though only few thousands turned up!) besides getting media coverage, also got police protection as traffic was diverted to ease their progress in Karachi. On the other hand whereas journalist were again beaten when they tried covering Asif Zardari’s return home. What’s good for the goose is obviously not good enough for the gander as section 144 only comes into effect for those not in cohort with the regime.
So as long as the press is involved in sprucing up the national image it is fine. The moment they begin to show a mind of their own, things start to go wrong.
Alas, state violence has broken the resilience of many media men and women who, in this day of inflation prefer to tow the safer line, preferring to live and let live. Discreet press advice — a relic from Ayub Khan’s days of Press and Publication Ordinance — are covertly handed out, while government information services continue to keep a watchful eye, not letting the media stray out of line. The reign has been loosened very intelligently to portray a semblance of free media to the international community.
Though every story must be told, critical government actions are kept well out of the media and army actions are strictly monitored in the Press. Is this the, ‘unique press freedom,’ referred to by the government mouth pieces?
Media in Pakistan is presently classified in the same category as those in other ‘dictatorial’ nations like Nepal and Myanmar where regimes have strict clamps on all information services.
A press report stated that Christiane Amanpour of CNN publicly declared that her own network had been intimidated on two fronts-by the Bush administration as well as by the pugnacious coverage of its rival, Fox. If global media institutes like the CNN is confronted with such issues, than a vulnerable Press such as ours, facing even tougher challenges like an instable state machinery, absence of a Press Council and hideous antiquated Press Acts is bound to buckle under pressure. Editorial gatekeepers inevitably succumb to governmental pressures and to the aggression of political parties notorious for their gangster-like ‘brotherhood’ or zealous fatwas!
A very senior editor, commenting on the state of the media soon after the October 12 takeover by General Parvez Musharraf, stated; “presently, the press in Pakistan is in sufferance-tolerated but not liked.” And that state has continued. In fact, it has been exploited. The General has the art of charming and he has turned it on the media since his takeover. He does it often and he has done it to his advantage as well as to his detriment. Remember Agra? The talks actually failed because the Indian press couldn’t get over our president’s charisma and went on to eulogize the man who should have remained a representative from the enemy camp.
The Director General, Unesco has urged media men and women this year to use press freedom to ‘strongly correlate with the public’s right of access to knowledge and information’ by ‘establishing voluntary codes of conduct, providing training for journalists and setting up mechanisms of self regulation.’ But with threatened security for journalists in Pakistan, it is going to be near impossible for gatekeepers to put this into action.
What was witnessed in Islamabad and Lahore was surely not the work of a democratic regime. If so, what sort of a government are we being ruled by?
