Senior journalist Hamid Mir, while reacting to a statement by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, apparently lashed out at the establishment and armed forces for their influence in country’s political affairs.
The story begins when Pakistani journalist and vlogger Asad Ali Toor, a strong critic of country’s state institutions, was attacked and threatened inside his Islamabad apartment by unknown assailants on Tuesday night.
Later, in a statement, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary claimed that certain journalists in the past have blamed the military and institutions only to receive political asylum and immigration to foreign countries.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and other journalists reacted strongly to the minister’s insinuations, saying that the statement reflected that the government was showing no seriousness in investigating cases of violence against journalists.
Hamid Mir remarks
Responding to the minister’s claim, Hamid Mir termed the minister’s remarks unfortunate. “I was attacked but I am still in Pakistan. Matiullah Jan was attacked once but he is also in Pakistan. Absar Alam is also present in Pakistan,” he added.
“I would like to ask the minister why senior military officials like Gen Musharraf are living abroad?” Mir asked. The minister would not be able to answer as to who is funding Musharraf’s stay abroad or why most of the top intelligence officials get lucrative jobs outside Pakistan after retirement, he added.
“I will prove that you sit it Pakistan and protect the interests of Israel, India and the United States,” he said. “You handed over Pakistan’s military bases to foreigners since the time of Ayub Khan,” he added.
Freedom of speech
According to the latest report put together by the media watchdog Freedom Network, there has been a 40pc increase in attacks on journalists over the past year. At least 91 cases of violence were recorded against journalists — which includes murder, assault, censorship, threats, and legal suits.
According to the findings, no place in the four Pakistani provinces or Islamabad [as well as GB and AJK] is safe for journalists. However, the federal capital was the “riskiest” territory with 34 percent of the cases.
Forces’ criticism bill
In April, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior approved a bill to make amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 to take action against those who intentionally ridicule armed forces.
The bill, which was hugely criticized, said anyone who shall be guilty of said offence could face up to two years imprisonment or fine that may extend to Rs500,000, or both.
The bill proposes amendment to Section 500 of the PPC, which currently states: “Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”
A grim scenario?
Freedom to question here does not mean that the military’s role in defending the country is being doubted. It simply gives people their constitutional right to question the alleged involvement of an institution of the state in affairs that are beyond its constitutional mandate.
Hamid Mir’s remarks, on one hand, presented the dangerous situation for journalists in a ‘democratic’ Pakistan. He somewhere had spoken the reality where injustice is being done. However, on other hand, personal attacks, under the guise of Press Freedom, are unacceptable.
There might still be warnings or threatening messages but now, the quarters who want critical voices silenced have gone one step further and demonstrated that they have no qualms about ‘disappearing’ journalists or subjecting them to brutal assault in broad daylight.
All this is happening under the watchful eye of a democratically elected state. Why is the government so hesitant to issue regular warnings that silencing criticism?
