Democracy in danger
Nasim Zehra
The vigour and consistency with which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's personal friend, senator and key henchman Saifur Rehman has taken up his 'demolish Jang' operation, can no longer be ignored. Every thinking Pakistani who believes in democracy and views Pakistan's progress as intrinsically linked to the survival of democracy must fully understand that inherent in the fascistic 'demolish Jang' operation, is the unfolding obituary of democracy. In substance if not in form. Today unbridled state power is being deployed to gag the Jang group for its many 'ills' - the 'ills' that have invoked displeasure of those who rule us; those who lack credibility yet seek sweeping applause.
Gagging dissent after all is not an unfamiliar modus operandi with the Prime Minister. He has opted for 'gagging' even when dealing with dissent within the PML--known examples being the ordering of immediate resignations from dissenting men like PML MNA Mahmud Kasuri and MPA Mian Azhar. Although Kasuri returned to the fold and Mian Azhar may also after calculating the negative fall-out, it nevertheless still leaves us with the dictatorial behaviour of an apparently mild man.
An ongoing example of such dictatorial behaviour is the seven month old Jang-government confrontation, which has now snow-balled into an open war. The Prime Minister's key 'operator' Senator Saifur Rehman, reportedly asked Shakil-ur-Rehman to remove a total of 14 or at least 10 journalists which the government viewed believed were creating trouble it. This Saif perhaps believed would end criticism of the government, the Prime Minister and his family, get support for Shariah etc. While Saifur Rehman has given no direct response as regards the contents of the recorded transcripts in his press conference and in his comments to BBC and to VOA he has conceded that he asked the Jang management to "control its men." He reportedly decried the Jang Group's effort to create an environment of crisis through negative reporting. He also told reporters that "I have been asked to go after tax evaders and defaulters" maintaining therefore that his 'operation' against Jang is lawful. Interestingly in response to a question regarding what could be done for the Jang Group if it decided to 'cooperate' with the government Saif's response implied that some leniency would be shown.
Clearly on the motive and intent of the 'operation' against Jang, its main architect is talking with a forked tongue; he admits that he is seeking "control" of journalists working in the Jang Group and at the same time wanting to get the Group to pay taxes. He also admits that cooperation from the Group could earn it leniency on tax matters. Amazing confession! Saif admits that a linkage has been established by him, on behest of the Prime Minister, between curtailment of criticism of the government and the 'concessions' given to the Jang Group on taxation and newsprint matters.
Actively supporting the Saif allegations have been discussion programmes on PTV. In adopting a sordid approach the government brought in former Jang employees for tale-telling against Jang's financial misappropriation and worker exploitation. The government has unsuccessfully attempted to project the government-Jang confrontation as a battle between state interests and corporate interests.
Clearly the government's defense is weak. Have all tax defaulters been nabbed? Is the federal government not pursuing a policy of selective accountability, on tax evasion and defaulted loans? What is the role of the Ehtesab Bureau? Is it not working like a personal 'operation' of the Prime Minister, deploying state power to hound those with whom the Chief Executive is 'unhappy?' Why are after all tax cases not being pursued by the relevant institution--the Central Board of Revenue? Has there not been a judgement given by the lawful tax tribunal providing relief to the Jang Group? Have all action such as the Saif-led FIA raids, freezing of Jang accounts been undertaken in violation of that judgement? Also if the government has chosen to 'clean-up' the newspaper industry where violation of workers rights may exist as well as illegal acquisition of print quota, why does it not adopt a uniform stance vis a vis the entire newspaper industry?
The government's demolish Jang operation, the government will argue, is not about stifling the press. After all other english dailies like Dawn and The Nation carry news items, editorials and columns strongly criticising the Nawaz Sharif government.
Today the majority among Pakistan's journalistic community views the demolish Jang operation more as a 'gag the press' operation. Today heavy mandate of their conscience forces them to join ranks and actively condemn the beating up of journalists by the FIA in Rawalpindi, the police in Islamabad, the harassment of a female colleague, the threatening of others by Saifur Rehman, the beating up of daily Ausaaf's van driver and the illegal confiscation of copies of daily Ausaaf. Whatever the settlement between Jang and the government the working journalists of Pakistan for long have a tradition of standing up for their right to publish responsibly but freely and to defend their colleagues facing physical threats. With all its drawbacks it is the Pakistani press alone that has operated closest to the call of its conscience. And to that extent it has demonstrated that the press wields power that is more tenable and palpable than those of men in the barracks and in the buildings meant for dispensing justice.
As for press freedom it cannot co-exist along with government diktats labelling issues and individuals as patriotic and unpatriotic. Government also cannot exercise its veto against discussion of any political and social issue in the press. Governments are never sent packing, even if a newspaper publisher wants, because of opinion polls, critical editorials and news reports. Only when there is a vacuum of performance, reliable information and credible leadership, will sensationalism be born and perhaps survive. In responsibly governed states sensationalism dies its natural death. No newspaper, like no army general therefore in todays Pakistan, can engineer the ouster of a government that functions responsibly.