Daily Times

General (retired) Pervez Musharraf’s treason trial and the news about his sudden illness is the talk of the town these days. However, instead of being a trial within the jurisdiction of the court, this issue is becoming more of a media trial. Every day, new revelations are being made and, of course, when our honourable media is running the show, some of its proponents bring in personal bits to give the issue a ‘Bollywood-like touch’. Sadly, one of the most serious issues with our media is that it tends to wander off from the topic under discussion. Even the most revered media analysts commit such mistakes, sadly much too often. I am talking about none other than Mr Ansar Abbasi, who is the head of ‘the only’ investigative journalism department in one of the most revered media groups in the country. He proclaimed, in a January 4, 2014 article, that his media group has “unearthed” that Mr Musharraf, who is consuming millions from the public kitty for his security and is enjoying free treatment at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) at the cost of taxpayers’ money, does not pay a single penny as tax.

Well, Mr Abbasi, General (retired) Pervez Musharraf served in the army for many decades and, being an ex-serviceman, he is entitled to the so-called ‘free’ treatment at the cost of taxpayers’ money. This has always been the case, not just for him but for all serving and ex-servicemen, and for many civil servants as well. So, if you really want to criticise the issue of free treatment then, instead of criticizing Pervez Musharraf, the criticism should be directed towards the policy that is making it possible. Pervez Musharraf represented more than 180 million Pakistanis for almost a decade and was the president of this country. Most importantly, our honourable courts and parliament approved his actions at that time. He is threatened by extremist forces, which are against the very existence of this country and therefore he deserves the security he is being given. Perhaps there are a number of media persons who are enjoying free stay in government-owned residences in the capital and are reaping the benefits of their influence on the government and the civilian bureaucracy. So, in my personal view, this criticism is unjust and we must always think before we speak because words, especially those uttered by media persons, hold considerable influence on the readers and viewers of the media.

It is about time that we start reviewing our criticism. Pervez Musharraf’s trial is most certainly a just step, according to the law and the constitution of Pakistan, and it should remain that way. Instead of focusing on non-issues and the private matters of any person, the media should solely focus on the topic under discussion. A free and independent media, the fourth estate, should not get rid of its responsibilities.

When Pervez Musharraf suffered from a possible heart attack or uneasiness in his chest on his way to court, he was taken directly to the AFIC, instead of the nearest possible hospital. According to the view of a number of politicians and Pakistani citizens, including Bilawal Bhutto, the whole episode was a preplanned drama, as the security enroute to AFIC was already in place. Most importantly, according to the medical report presented in the court, the list of diseases that Mr Musharraf is suffering from are mostly age-related and are not life threatening. However, Mr Musharraf is still at the AFIC, which perhaps shows that the armed forces are not ready to give up on him so easily, or perhaps not at any cost. This again is a slap on the civilians’ face by those who have always been in power. This is the main issue, which is directly related to the trial of Musharraf, not his security or free treatment at the cost of the taxpayers’ money or his tax returns. Even if the media is planning on wandering off from the main issue then it should also mention those good steps taken during the tenure of Mr Musharraf. At least I know a number of people who started their professional careers during his tenure and, according to them, those were the best times for young professionals — the same goes for the media as well.

In the end, I would like to appreciate the political prudence shown by Ms Aseefa Bhutto when she tweeted about praying for the early recovery of General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. Although presently she is far from being a professional politician but this tweet showed a highly professional attitude, which is lacking in many Ansar Abbasis of our time.

The writer is a development consultant. She tweets at @GulminaBilal and can be reached at coordinator@individualland.com