In my long years as a journalist, a lifetime really, I have learnt that the true worth of a news story is to be judged by the hostility or displeasure it attracts from powerful elements. In fact, this is one definition of the news, that it is something that someone, somewhere does not want to be published or broadcast. That is how investigative journalism often tells truth to power.
For more than a week, Pakistan has been engrossed in a passionate argument on the contents of Cyril Almeida’s report in Dawn, which revealed the deliberations of a high-level meeting attended by civilian and military leaders. It has been asserted that the report compromises our national security.
But what caused a commotion in the media, also in a global context, was the interior ministry’s decision to put Cyril on the Exit Control List, barring him from travelling abroad. Against the backdrop of vicious suppression of media in many countries of the world, this was seen as the harassment of a courageous newsman, verily a star of our print media.
Hence, media and rights organisations expressed their deep concern and demanded that Cyril’s name be removed from the ECL. It was heartening to see that even in our divided and professionally deficient media, there was a show of solidarity on this issue. For once, there are a number of serious analyses and discussions on the role of the media and the ethical standards that it should observe.
Now, this entire spectacle has demonstrated something that our executive authorities would wish to keep under cover, possibly also in the national interest: a total chaos and confusion in the upper echelons of this government. Chaudhry Nisar Ali could himself be featured in a comedy of terror, with footage from his latest and many previous presentations on camera. He plays his role with such confidence.
Anyhow, Cyril’s name was removed from the ECL on Friday. Read this intro of the interior ministry statement: “Reiterating full support to freedom of the press and the independence of media, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has ordered removal of the name of a journalist from ECL who had filed an inaccurate and fabricated news item about a national security meeting”.
To be sure, Cyril could have drafted it so much better. So, a judgement has been pronounced that the news items was “inaccurate” as well as “fabricated”, even though the formal inquiry has not been concluded. And Cyril should not mind that he has not been recognised. The name “of a journalist” has not been revealed.
The irony here is that Cyril has, in less than a week, become a national celebrity. His face – a mug-shot? – has constantly been cruising on all the news channels. It is difficult to pronounce but his name has circulated in countless living rooms. Years from now, people may recognise him walking on the street. Thankfully, he is not speaking to the camera.
On a serious note, how will this episode unfold in the coming days? Or will it fade out like old soldiers? All that upheaval that reverberated across global media was centred on the ECL decision. Hence, a new chapter may now begin. Hopefully, it would focus, in right earnest, on a number of questions that relate to our national sense of direction. Dawn’s report, which the newspaper has vehemently defended, can serve as a catalyst. That would truly be the vindication of the role of media.
It is instructive that the interior ministry’s announcement about the removal of Cyril’s name from the ECL overlapped with the meeting of the corps commanders, with COAS Gen Raheel Sharif in the chair. Among other things, it expressed serious concern on the feeding of a false and fabricated story about an important security meeting at the PM House and termed it a “breach of national security”.
There has been a lot of talk about who among the participants had leaked the story. This speculation suggests that the story is not entirely false or fabricated. Indeed, the revelations are not shocking and are the stuff of what well-informed observers have been debating in private. At the heart of this imbroglio is the dynamics of relations between our civilian and military leaders.
In this context, I would like to quote from a Pildat statement that was actually issued to demand the removal of Cyril’s name from the ECL. Let me quote one passage: “It is also important to note that contents of the said news report yet again signify a broad problem that besets civil-military relations in Pakistan. As Pildat had stated in its Report on State of Civil-Military Relations: there is often a disturbing divergence between civil-military leadership on how to conduct the affairs of the state (especially vis-à-vis India) and security policy. Although a divergence of opinion is not necessarily something undesirable, the mandate for final decision on national security, as on other policies, resides with the elected government”.
What this means is that our national interest demands that our security and foreign policies must rest with the elected civilians. But we know the truth of who exercises the veto power in all matters of national importance. Unfortunately, these matters have not been discussed openly. Even the observation that the ruling ideas have led Pakistan into a quagmire and must now be reviewed will make one suspect in the eyes of self-proclaimed patriots.
This situation, which smacks of McCarthyism, makes the task of the media so hazardous. McCarthyism, during the dark cold war years, had emerged in the US as the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. Someone like Cyril would invoke the memory of Edward Murrow, the great broadcast journalist, who stood up against Senator McCarthy. He said: “Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions”.
Journalism is said to be a rough draft of history. We in Pakistan have failed to create that rough draft and the popular media has totally distorted the idea of reality and its implications for the survival of the country. If you look for what Pakistani textbooks tell you about the loss of East Pakistan, you will be disappointed. We are afraid of history and seem to be moving ahead almost blind-folded. It is time to open our eyes and look around. We should begin to think which, sadly, is not an easy task.
The writer is a senior journalist.
Email: ghazi_salahuddinhotmail.com