It is an undeniable reality that the recent battle for power in Islamabad and Punjab has created a palpable degree of polarization in the populace, with one side simply unwilling to accept even the most rational of arguments if it is being presented by the other. A similar condition prevails in the media as well; however, there are of course those rare elements present who take a more balanced and nuanced approach to reporting and analyzing the news.
During PTI chief Imran Khan’s rule, journalists and media houses were urged, sometimes warned, not to take a critical line against the PTI government, by the establishment. Such threats, varying in subtlety and poorly masqueraded as requests, were evolving at a fast pace, to the point that editorial decision making became near impossible, much to the detriment of independent quality journalism. While censorship, curtailment of newspaper circulations in certain areas of major cities and outright bans on certain journalists and television channels became commonplace, perhaps the worst form of this policy was violence against journalists.
Since his ouster, Mr Khan has been indirectly berating and ridiculing the Army for orchestrating his unceremonious exit from PM House. This narrative of a ‘domestic conspiracy’ has been complemented by a selection of television anchors speaking along the same lines on the respective channels they work for and much more aggressively and pointedly on their individual YouTube channels. It seems the limit to how much would be tolerated without any significant reaction has been reached, as is evident by the arrest, alleged torture at the hands of police and immediate transfer of Jameel Farooqi, a journalist who gave details of alleged sexual abuse against Shehbaz Gill, who himself is currently facing the music for some unsavoury comments.
Mr Farooqi’s brand of journalism may not sit well with many but there is no justification, legal or otherwise, for him to be seized in a fashion more suitable for a lethal serial killer on the loose who has finally been caught and must be interrogated to ‘find the bodies’. Clearly, the idea behind such highhandedness is to warn others of Mr Farooqi’s ilk of similar treatment. Such treatment of the press was highly condemnable when it was being meted out during the PTI’s tenure and is equally unacceptable now. Advocating for a better democracy is meaningless when institutions and political leaders continuously show through their actions that they are anything but democratic.
