Daily Times

Considering the title of the article, I know that you must be thinking of the party currently in power. Especially the ongoing smear campaign against the veteran journalist Saleem Khan Safi, which is something that just cannot be justified.

This is because, one can disagree with his point of view, but to unjustly imprecate him is wrong. However, what is most surprising is the silence of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership on the constant defamation campaign against Saleem Safi. But, again this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone given the complete silence of Imran Khan and his party leadership over incidents in North Waziristan and Faisalabad.

Comparatively, Saleem Safi’s case is quite peaceful as it seems to be a bloodless war and is only occurring online, mostly on social media. However, the aforementioned incidents cost lives. Hopefully the incumbent government can muster enough courage to at least pay verbal condolences to the bereaved families, even though they deserve a formal visit by the authorities, in this time of sadness.

Nonetheless, coming back to the main topic at hand; the business of renting a troll. These days, the incumbent political party’s followers are being castigated for being unmannerly to their critics. In this race, PTI is leading from the very front.

The ongoing smear campaign against the veteran journalist Saleem Khan Safi, is something that just cannot be justified. This is because, one can disagree with his point of view, but to unjustly imprecate him is wrong. However, what is most surprising is the silence of the PTI leadership on the constant defamation campaign against this respected journalist

For its supporters throw expletives at critics, call them names and accuse them of every kind of wrongdoing. There are a myriad of thoughts about why the PTI’s supporters have adopted this decisive strategy. Some people argue that it is a deliberate strategy of PTI’s media team to hire a troll and assign them the job of targeting critics. Some others are of the view that these trolls aren’t paid but do such things voluntarily. They take the exercise of trolling as charity work or jihad against the evil elements that threaten to disrupt their party.

Whatever is the reality of these trolls, one thing is for certain; they lack the display of basic mannerisms and do not convey their views in an appropriate manner.

The existence of such allies eventually becomes pointless, for neither do they follow their leader’s ideology, nor do they consider the ethical code that the world lives by. The biggest loss and contradiction for the PTI supporters is that their own ideologies do not seem to follow the ideologies their leader, Imran Khan, claims to live by.

For Imran Khan has always backed the logical and sane response to such trouble makers, and in the past he once even had to release a video message in which he pleaded his supporters to exhibit prudence, respect and patience against the PTI’s many detractors.

The PTI leadership should put aside some time and even though it might be bothersome, they need to come out and comment on this matter. These instances might not seem important at this time, but they are in fact quite essential and reveal the true identity of politics in Pakistan.

The party leadership should apologise to Saleem Safi for the way he has be treated by their supporters and party members. Additionally it should instruct its media team to carry itself in a civilized manner. Our society runs on certain social and cultural values, which include the respect of others’ family and character, and in Safi’s case, these values need to be borne in mind.

The writer can be contacted at asifmahsud44@yahoo.com

Published in Daily Times, August 29^th 2018.