Daily Times

The freedom of the press is a debate on which learned scholars have written and spoken in clear words since the birth of Pakistan and successive governments doctorial or elected have tried to curb the press, one way or the other. In reality, the Pakistani nation has never tasted the real freedom of the press. Unfortunately, our press always failed to come up to the expectations whenever freedom completely or partly was granted to it.

There can be no second opinion on the independence of media as without a free media a true democracy cannot flourish, but we have to analyse the role of Pakistani media in a broader prospect and keeping in mind the typical environment in which our common man is living, particularly the very low literacy rate in our country. Looking at the history of our media, we find numerous incidents of negative journalism causing serious and long-lasting harmful psychological effects on the people, even there are instances of such a harmful reporting in our press that it changed the path of our history, severely effecting the smooth working of the government of the day. It is a bitter reality that our media, at many occasions, hasn’t come up to the expectations and behaved in a very non-journalistic manner completely forgetting the heavy responsibility which befalls on its shoulders, and due to that non-professional journalism, the nation had to pay a very heavy price.

The government of President Musharaf made it possible to have free news and discussions reaching the doorsteps of every Pakistani. In the present days, we are enjoying some freedom of media, especially the electronic media is free to telecast everything; even showing the scattered dead bodies and human parts forgetting what effects such scenes could have on the minds of viewers. Some instances of negative media coverage are listed below for refreshing the memory of the public.

While covering the devastation caused by the earthquake in the NWFP and Kashmir, one TV channel dared to show live a dying woman, is this independence of media? The media can play a vital role in the development, progress and prosperity of a country, while the same media can turn the tables otherwise by not behaving in a responsible and civilised way, but unfortunately, our media is fond of printing and telecasting sensational news and photographs. During the Z A Bhutto’s rule the day, when the language bill was to be presented in the Sindh Assembly, one Urdu newspaper published in black border “Urdu ka janaza hai bari dhoom se niklay, Karachi ki gali gali main ghoom key niklay,” (It’s the funeral procession of Urdu, it should move with pride and from every street of Karachi). That irresponsible and emotional verse resulted in the loss of innocent lives and property due to the riots, which erupted in Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

In 1971 during the East Pakistan crises “Crush India”, movement surfaced all over Pakistan, and when Pakistan defeated India in hockey Olympics final The main heading of a leading English newspaper was “Pakistan Crushed India.” Later on, it was found out that the crush India movement was a brainchild of the enemy’s intelligence agencies as a part of psychological warfare. The hijackers of the Indian plane “Ganga” were presented before the nation as the freedom fighters, by our media especially by the Urdu newspapers and finally they turned out to be the agents of enemy and India on the pretext of that hijacking of its airliner imposed the restrictions on PIA over flying in the Indian territory, which resulted in heavy losses to PIA.

Our learned historians and the media personal have twisted the history to brainwash the new generation and achieved their vested interests for the reasons best known to them. Unfortunately, this trend of twisting the historical facts persists in our country. One of the towering figures, the most charismatic figure in the history of Pakistan, Z A Bhutto is one such person who is subjected to false and fabricated all sorts of accusations to malign him. Since 1971, he is being accused of solely responsible for the breakup of Pakistan, and every Tom, Dick and Harry is enthusiastic to quote “Udher Tum Idher Hum,” the words attributed to Z A Bhutto, the reason for the breakup of the country. This misconception has been injected in the minds of the nation by the people of vested interests regarding the ZAB saying “Udher Tum, Idher Hum.” These words were never uttered by the late primer and this needs to be clarified once and forever. The factual and absolute fact is that it was the daily Azad, Lahore only which made this headline in its issue of February 15, 1971. For the readers of this column and the historians of the country and anchors of electronic media, I wish to share the extracts of Mr Athar Abbas’s, editor of Daily Azad, interview published in the weekly “The Friday Times” October 9-15, 2009.

“Addressing a public gathering in Nishtar Park, Karachi, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, referring to Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman, had said, “Udher tum jeetay ho, idhar mai, Udher tumhari taqat hai, idher meri. The following day, we published a headline, “Udhar tum, idhar hum,” in Daily Azad. One must remember the fact that our newspaper used to have objective headlines. Yes, I had developed this headline, but it did not carry the same meaning as claimed by the right wing.”

It’s hoped that after the confession of Athar Abbas, the then editor of Daily Azad, sincere efforts would be made to correct the history. It’s a solemn duty of Pakistan People’s Party and the political heirs of the most charismatic leader of the world ZAB to clear this misconception from the minds of the people of Pakistan that in any way directly or indirectly ZAB was a party to the breakup of the country.

The media can play a vital role in the development, progress and prosperity of a country

When operation “Search Light” was ordered by Gen Yaha Khan in East Pakistan, on the night of December 16, 1970, Z A Bhutto was witnessed to that from the balcony of Intercontinental hotel, Dacca, upon his return to Lahore, one journalist asked him about the developments and the future of Pakistan, as ZAB was highly disturbed, his only reply was “Khuda Pakistan ko bachaiye” (May God save Pakistan). The official news agency of Pakistan APP completely changed the reply of ZAB and twisted it to “Khuda nay Pakistan bacha liya,” only one newspaper dared to correctly publish the wordings of ZAB as said by him.

These are the few examples of irresponsible behaviour of media in Pakistan. In recent days, many TV channels have invited ignorant and confused politicians and so-called experts in talk shows. They used to say practically senseless things just short of using abusive language and quoting historical events and facts wrongly and out of context. The comparers conducting the shows are fond of imposing their viewpoints, not only this with every breaking news.

The head of a suicide bomber of October 18 was flashed for days on the TV screens, many young children practically stopped watching TV, as the sight of that human head was so horrifying and terrific. The suicide bombing scenes of FIA office building in Lahore were telecasted again and again showing the suicide bombers crushing the duty guard, while our media completely forgetting the feelings of the near and dear ones of that duty guard and its impact on the minds of general people, such sensational scenes simply promote the cause of the terrorists and the masterminds of FIA building attack must be celebrating their “achievement.”

During the oath-taking ceremony of a newly elected parliament in the 1990s, which was being telecasted live, one of a respected member of the parliament passed extremely uncivilised and derogating remarks for a member of national assembly belonging from the minorities. So are we mature enough to have an independent media? The western countries very proudly claim to have this. It was the sensational reporting by our media that made it possible for an internationally read weekly to labelled Pakistan “The most dangerous nation on earth.”

The present freedom of press or media is nothing but simply madness to attract more viewers or readers, its greed and cupidity that makes our so-called journalists behave in a manner which by all definitions doesn’t fall in the category of journalisms.

Lord Acton said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” similarly complete freedom of press without any restrictions corrupts, ruins and hurts the moral and ethical values of a nation, it’s the obligation and the duty of the people of integrity especially from the league of journalists to come forward to highlight the negative impact of corrupt journalism and condemn and denounce such journalism with full force both on electronic and print media.

A media with certain restrictions imposed within the internationally recognised rules is beneficial not only for the government of the day. It helps in not leaving the simple-minded readers and viewers in a state of trauma.

The writer is a former marine engineer and presently serves at a private power plant