Daily Times

That irresponsible expression has churned political waters from all sides in the ongoing Mohsin Baig saga would be an understatement. However, whether he holds the moral high ground in the wake of the so-called character assassination of a sitting minister is not a question any longer. By unleashing a mega operation by FIA’s cybercrime wing and Islamabad Police, that too without any search warrant, the state has willingly stepped into a dense quagmire. Since a well-orchestrated operation had turbocharged a good hour before the actual complainant Murad Saeed had registered a case in Lahore, Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal very succinctly slammed down the arrest as “illegal,” in the wake of which a long, long string of charges against Mr Baig, his son and even his personal staffer over the confrontational demeanour in which they charged at the arresting parties loses all credence. Why would any respectable citizen allow a brigade of men in civil dress to pound down his door in an attempt to present his head on a silver plate is a question lingering on many a mind. Going by the unrelenting uproar by journalists’ representative bodies and the uncertainty hanging heavy in the air, Islamabad could do better than its baffling defence of Mr Baig not being a journalist per se. Cherry-picking who to throw the book at out of a panel that consisted of a retired army general reeks of selective accountability. Wasn’t it our dear kaptaan who emphatically proclaimed that there would be an equal justice system for the rich and poor in Naya Pakistan? Which of these golden standards allow a channel to be taken off the air before any legal formalities can take their course amid a raid against a panellist’s residence in broad daylight while others enjoy their delicious sunshine?

Freedom of expression was always a luxury in Pakistan. No qualms about that but there’s a difference between sealing lips with fine print wax and knocking everyone into the middle of next week. The investigation is still too raw for any extrapolation and only time will decide whether Mr Baig comes down on one side of the fence or the other but all things said and done, the B-grade thriller of his arrest and the abhorrent allegations of torture in custody have made an utter mockery of our justice system. *