Daily Times

The electronic media has been shielded from a big stick by Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra), for now. On Monday, Senate rejected a bill giving teeth to the media watchdog body to look into the complaints regarding contractual violations incurred by private TV channels. Opposition leaders vehemently slammed the bill as an opportunity to arm-twist media channels through access to human resource departments on the excuse of protecting workers’ rights. Castigating the amendment, PPP Parliamentary Leader in the House Sherry Rehman, went to the extent of claiming: “Media has no space in Pakistan under this government and Tabahi Sarkar is bent upon suppressing the media and voices of dissent.”

There can be no doubts about the vulnerability of journalists in Pakistan, especially in the last few years. Delayed payments, reduction in previously-stipulated salaries and perks and even layoffs seem to be defining the state of press for quite some time now. The year 2019 alone saw as many as 3100 journalists get laid off, often on the pretext of financial constraints. May it be the absolute absence of lifelines offered by the higher-ups to protect the industry, sharp decline in federal and provincial advertisements or huge outstanding payments from the public quarters, an increasing number of media workers find themselves stranded amidst the elephants’ fight. If followed to the spirit of the draft legislation, PEMRA would have assumed the role of committee protecting journalists and technicians aggrieved with their employers.

Alas! the regulatory body’s checkered past speaks volumes about its fascination with doubling down when it comes to censuring media. Only last year, PEMRA had come up with a proposal to regulate online video content: a move widely lambasted as “draconian” and “crude ploy of pretending to seek civil society’s opinions” by Reporters without Borders. Then again, a television channel was forced to stop broadcasting over “illegal transmission of news and current affairs content.”

In the past, media houses have been instructed to avoid discussing sub-judice matters and ensuring that their anchors refrain from discussing their views on air; letting “experts” with the “requisite knowledge” talk on subjects of their expertise. There have been instances where anchors have been banned from appearing on their shows or blanket bans have been imposed on entire programmes as punishment for airing objectionable material. Censorship had long spread its tentacles all across the domain of Pakistani media but under the present government, it is being felt heavier than ever.

Amidst an uncertain climate of extreme fear and suppression of press freedoms, any move that holds even the glimmer of added crackdowns would not be welcomed by either the press or the civic society. It would serve the purpose better if coherent legislation was penned in a collaboration with organisations that represent the interests of media quarters (Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Pakistan Broadcasters’ Association (PBA) for instance)

Both free press and well-paid journalists are necessary for establishing a pillar that holds the state to its feet. A pressman exasperated by his financial problems can neither do quality reporting nor voice any concerns over the freedom of the press. Let us break down these nuanced, sophisticated forms of press censorship being shoved down our throats! *