Fears of senior journalists
Karachi:Senior journalists and writers fear that the press freedom can be taken away as soon the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) that held the Constitution in abeyance, is implemented.
A senior journalist and educationist, Professor Tauseef Ahmed Khan, called up saying that previously the newspaper offices were immediately sent instructions and an information officer was also deputed to check such matters that went to the press. In many cases, news items, articles and editorials were removed from the pages on the spot, in case the information officers found them to be posing danger to the status quo.
The same practice was adopted in General Zia’s days of martial law. However, in 1999 when General Pervez Musharraf overthrew the Sharif government in a coup and became the chief executive, the practice of monitoring newspapers through the information officers was not adopted. In fact, the newspapers were virtually unsupervised as a whole and, instead, private TV channels were targeted from time to time under one pretext or another.
This time around, after the promulgation of emergency, private TV channels are being prohibited from covering the on-going political developments and from resisting against the emergency. The laws dealing with the airing of such coverage have also been amended and for now, it seems that the electronic media is the focus of the government’s attention. There have been speculations that as soon as things are settled, the government may take action against the print media.
Prof. Tauseef Ahmed said given the lack of information owing to the private TV channels going off air, people will prefer reading newspapers and the only other alternative will be PTV. He argued that the declaration of the suspension of the fundamental rights (abeyance of the Constitution) has already been announced so the government will infringe upon the right to freedom of expression whenever it deemed fit. However, the usurping such rights also depends upon the political developments and pressure. For instance, in case the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) made a deal with the government or was in a position to dictate its terms, the government would oblige the PPP by imposing a ban on press freedom in practical terms. Hence, a strong political opposition and bargain could also play an important part in this connection.
Another former journalist and researcher at the South Asia Desk of Asian Human Rights Commission, Baseer Naveed, said that this emergency could not be prolonged and things could take a different turn. “This is for the first time that a general in uniform, who is the head of the state as well, has imposed emergency,” said Naveed. During Zia’s regime, the journalist community had to face many problems and were constantly victimised, but the situation now is entirely different. “During Zia’s time, the senior working journalists had resisted the information officers from time to time, rejecting their suggestions,” he added. He said that he along with others bringing out magazines and papers refused to follow instructions due to which, they (journalists) had to face lawsuits at the time.
Another senior journalist, Ishtiaq Ali Khan said that the previous martial law had been used to invoke the infamous law called the DPR. The law enforcers were free to arrest anyone found guilty of alleged illegal activity under the DPR. This time, however, the arrests are being made under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). Members of the civil society, politicians, human right activists and lawyers were now being arrested in order to maintain public order. He said that previously, when press freedom was infringed upon, the journalists and their unions offered strong resistance but this time, the rulers were not being resisted at all.
Another senior journalist, Hasan Askari, said that this time, the media personnel have been informed of the ban through the presidential ordinance, instead of summoning newspapers editors or sending information officers to the newspaper offices. The order gives very clear guidelines that the journalists should not target the president, prime minister, law enforcers and all those affiliated with the sitting government. He pointed out that the nature of the ‘martial law’ and its emergence has been relatively different now as assemblies were not abolished. Besides, the federal, provincial governments and city governments remain untouched, which shows that only the judiciary and media is being targeted in the country. Hence, the government is out to settle scores with the judiciary.
Hence, those newspapers and channels could be targeted that support the former chief justice as well as judges refusing to take oath under the PCO. Otherwise, there are no chances of imposing a strict ban on newspapers and private TV channels in the near future. Askari said that today, when the people can get information through the internet, it seems strange that a ban on the media has been imposed.
Writer and translator Dr Ashiq Hussain Al-Badavi noted that the action of the government was totally unwarranted and such actions ultimately infringed upon the rights of the people. A government that can impose an emergency only to victimise judges can go to any extent. He expressed his fear that journalists affiliated with the print media and electronic media could be targeted in future so it was imperative to get united and offer resistance to the government so that the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) can be revoked.
Source: The News
Date:11/6/2007
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