LAHORE: Journalists and activists from India and Pakistan sat together – some virtually – to share their views on censorship and lack of freedom of expression in the media in both countries in a session on the first day of the third Asma Jahangir Conference held at a local hotel on Saturday.

Journalist Zarrar Khuhro, who moderated the session, ‘Curtailing freedom of expression by legitimising censorship’, began by mentioning how censorship is much more insidious now and has taken varied forms. When asked, Steven Butler of the Committee to Protect Journalists said censorship is imposed in many ways across Asia through a series of legislation such as anti-terrorism, sedition, national security, cyber crime laws, adding that the ultimate form of censorship was murder.

Christine Chung from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated trends in the region and that violations of the right to freedom of expression extend beyond journalists to human rights defenders and ordinary people protesting government policies. South Asian states are falling short of their duties to protect, respect and fulfil the right to freedom of expression. On the World Press Freedom Index 2021, Pakistan is ranked 145thout of 180 countries, dropping from 142nd. “Free and independent press is essential to a functional democracy,” she stressed.

Journalist Hamid Mir started by condemning the denial of visas to the Indian panelists and Mr Butler. “If [those who refused to issue visas] can’t tolerate these speakers, it’s a sign of their weakness.” He claimed everyone in Pakistan knew media wasn’t free in the country, and quoted the press freedom predators list of the Reporters Without Borders that featured the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers among others.

Mentioning the chief justice of Pakistan’s claim made earlier in the day in another session of the conference that judiciary is free in the country, Mr Mir asked if that was the case then why no justice had been done in the cases of journalists Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, Absar Alam. He asked the CJP to take suo motu notice on these cases to prove his claim, and also quoted Habib Jalib from 40 years ago about press freedom that he said was still relevant.

“Judiciary isn’t free if the media is not independent and resultantly there’s no democracy. There’s hybrid democracy in Pakistan that’s the biggest threat to the country.”

Here, Mr Khuhro mentioned how it’s silly to censor in the age of technology, adding “the more they try to clamp down, water finds its way”.

Indian journalist Jyoti Malhotra joining online talked about the rampant censorship, clamping down on dissent and freedom of expression across the border, mentioning the cases of comedians jailed for jokes they hadn’t even cracked and journalists booked for merely reporting. Both India and Pakistan will have to listen to their people, she said, addressing those in power in both countries, citing the Kartarpur Corridor as an example of giving in to the will of the people.

Indian activist and lawyer Vrinda Grover talked about how people now are careful about choosing their words carefully so as not to give an opportunity to those waiting to go after someone. “Yet, we must continue to speak our minds and voice our opinions.”

Law has been commissioned to censor speech today, such as sedition law that she called the “most legally repressive measures”, she remarked, adding that free speech for certain kinds of hate speech is rampant.

Indian journalist Barkha Dutt, joining from London, spoke about how she was called both anti-nationalist and jingoist, adding she believed in engagement no matter how much she disagreed with someone’s views. “Censorship, or self-censorship in particular, begins when we feel terrified of differences and feel the need to alter our opinion because we need to mirror that of the opposite side for whatever reason.”

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2021