Can we learn from leaks issue?

If there is one winner in Dawn leaks, it is democracy, civil and military leadership, which provide basis for institution building.

If there is one loser, it is the mindset which is still not ready to accept democracy as a system. They were disappointed as they are again looking towards the 'umpire' to raise his finger and enforce the Official Secret Act. They lost in review, and prime minister is not out, but down still because of Panama.

There are lessons to be learnt for all including the media, politicians, civil and military leadership as in the last six or seven months, such hype was created on this issue that everyone thought it’s a make-or-break issue. Similar hype was created two-and-a-half years back during 126 days ‘dharna’.

Some people in this country have an allergy to the very word democracy. Although, their focus had been on the government of the day, its poor governance and issues like corruption, in their ultimate analysis, they wanted return of politics of 80s and 90s.

What they don't realise is the change in the thinking within the establishment since the fall of former president, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. The establishment is all for democracy and constitutional rule. Independence of judiciary and free media. Yes, there are still people who, at times, take hawkish line, but better sense had prevailed and prevented any adventurism.

One fully endorses the views expressed in the Senate and demands that the report should be made public and the interior minister should give policy statement, which I am sure, he will have given as even major opposition parties had not endorsed the Tweet of DG ISPR.

I don't think we had wasted six or seven months on this issue. The sensitivity of the issue itself demanded its secrecy, which was not maintained. The ministers indulged in unnecessary debates. Had the issue come up in the corps commanders’ conference, it would have been made public more than once.

What happened on April 29, when an executive order from the PM House was issued? It created another crisis and was followed by an immediate reaction and rejection by the ISPR DG, further escalating the tension.

I am not sure whether the executive order, issued from the PM House, had been released with the consent of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, but he was well aware of the fact that the government would be releasing the report anytime and sending it to my senior colleague, Idrees Bakhtiar.

After the ISPR DG's reaction, followed by Chaudhry Nisar's press conference in Karachi, it appears as if the government changed its position. I wondered as to why the military leadership did not contact Ch Nisar and seek clarification, which could have eased the situation.

It also appears that some of the action followed, before and after the report, may also have other reasons and Dawnleaks may only have been used as an excuse.

The lesson for civil and military leadership is very clear: hold less and guarded talks, maintain secrecy and avoid the media as far as possible during tension or disagreement on the issues of national security or sensitive nature.

Another lesson: both sides should evolve a mechanism to address such sensitive issues, keeping in view Pakistan's 70 years history of civil-military relationship. The idea of National Security Council (NSC), headed by the prime minister, is not bad at all, but it should not become a dormant body.

The government also needs to accept parliament’s sovereignty. If an in-camera session could be called in the backdrop of the Abbottabad incident, same could be held in this case as well, though Abbottabad was a much bigger issue.

Pakistan has come a long way before we stopped branding leaders and rulers as traitors. Today, channels are penalised for calling politicians traitors. In the past, politicians and only politicians faced treason charges. When, for the first time, such a charge came up against a military dictator, it was made an issue of 'civil and military’ relationship.

What we witnessed in the last six, seven months took us back to the days of dictators. Not only our opposition politicians levelled charges, but also some of our analysts, particularly defence analysts, who crossed the red lines in declaring an elected prime minister as a suspect in security breach.

It did not surprise me as the prime minister in this country had been declared as a security risk, and who knows better than the PPP leadership especially, former interior minister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, who himself faced this situation in Benazir Bhutto's first government.

The beauty of democracy is that it has the capacity to absorb all such criticism and always calls for dialogue to resolve the tension. Even after 126 days of ‘dharna’, resignations from the National Assembly, the issue was not settled with umpire's finger, but with negotiations.

Unlike Panama leaks, which could still go either way and we all need to accept its final verdict, Dawnleaks could have been disaster for the country and democratic process.

If PM Nawaz Sharif loses the Panama case, he would have left with little option but to call for fresh elections, though legally and constitutionally the PML-N government can still continue. This case is different from former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani's case as Nawaz Sharif is also the head of PML-N.

At the same time, justice does not only mean PM's disqualification, as seen by some circles. What if he gets benefit of doubt? Sharif, to me, should have stepped down about a year back and would have been in a much stronger position today. No one resigns in this country, neither ruler nor heads of political parties or institutions on moral grounds. 

What followed after the leak was not properly followed, either by the media or by the parties involved. The government, in the first place, could have referred the case to the Press Council of Pakistan (PCP), which consisted of all media stakeholders, particularly after the newspaper decided to 'Stood by the story.'

Journalists around the world are not suppose to disclose the identity of the source, come what may. Surprise was the reaction from those who had served this profession for years, both in print and electronic.

I wish the late Zameer Niazi would have been alive to record the events, which unfolded since Dawnleak news and instead calling it a newsleak, it become Dawnleak, as some wanted to link it with Panama leak. Its final outcome certainly disappointed those who wanted and even publicly expressed their desire for enforcement of 'Official Secret Act.' It does not happen due to mature approach from civil and military leadership.

Pakistan had followed the legacy of black laws and retained dozens which could be used against the media. While we all claim it’s a free media without realising that there are still over 15 laws exists, which could be used against journalists and the media.

The job has become much easier today, as the media became its biggest enemy and unlike in the past journalist and editors’ bodies are neither as strong nor united as were in the past.

Why I missed Niazi Sahib was because of his interest in recording and publishing in a book form about events linked to journalism. He had written and compiled all media related events since 1947, in his four books without any political biases. These include how journalists, editors and newspapers survived actions from successive regimes and faced cases like Pakistan Safety Act, Official Secret Act, Press and Publication Ordinance. How journalists went to prison to uphold the freedom of the Press.

Struggle for democracy and freedom of expression or freedom of the Press, in the last 70 years had been fought by both political parties and journalist unions.

Today, there is no one to record the history of electronic media in post-2001, when private TV channels were allowed for the first time, their success stories, progress, responsibility as well as their failure and irresponsibility.

Why despite media's growth as an Industry the ethical journalism had declined as profession. Niazi Sahib's last book, Fettered Freedom, was just a reflection of what would be coming in this noble profession.

Both civil and military leadership need to complement each other for resolving any issue, which in the last few months created a lot of tension. Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif and army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa, showed maturity in addressing it in a mature manner.

It is high time, we move forward and agreed on way forward instead of settling some past scores. In the last 70 years, we have not been able to build institutions and make them stronger. Do it now?

All is well that ends well, could be the best expression in the final outcome in this case, though some still want that it would not die down and remain alive, at least till Panama case decide.

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO