Free media?

Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the editor-in-chief of the Jang/GEO Group, the largest media group in the country, has been in jail now for six months, in a case involving a land transaction that dates back 34 years. There has been consistent outcry from lawyers, journalists, and other professionals, who have said that the detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is an attempt to suppress free expression, which includes critical comment on the government and its policies. The example being set by detaining Mir Shakil seems intended to send a message to all journalists, and all those involved in the profession. This is terrible news for Pakistan, a country which has a past history of just media suppression.

Mir Shakil has been denied bail despite an appeal in July this year to a court in Pakistan on the grounds of ill health. He has now requested the Supreme Court to set aside the order passed by the Lahore High Court that had dismissed his post-arrest bail petition. It is difficult to say how the government can continue to insist it is determined to ensure media freedom, given such actions which are visible to all. There are more and more speaking out against them. This includes Human Rights Watch, which has in a recent statement said that such arbitrary detentions, especially in pre-trial cases, should be avoided. HRW has also said that Mir Shakil’s ‘ordeal epitomizes the fast-shrinking space for dissent and criticism in Pakistan’. This is a very disturbing situation, especially since the media in Pakistan – and the Jang/Geo Group in particular – has continued to keep the flag of free expression fluttering while facing the winds of authoritarian censorship.

In the face of global issues regarding journalism, freedom of expression and media sustainability, and new challenges presented by online media, fake news, and now even AI on the brink of becoming part of the ‘media’, Pakistan’s journalists face a limited space for their work. We feel it is important to remember that a country where press freedom feels like a constant fight also struggles to maintain its credibility as a democratic nation. Recent cases involving journalists being arrested or charged with varying offences are alarming for free press advocates not just in Pakistan but across the world. Prime Minister Imran Khan says that there is complete media freedom in Pakistan and no curbs on the freedom of expression. We hope that both NAB and the current government take a critical look at how they see journalism and dissenting opinion or critique. The independence of journalists or the media is ensured by at least two major factors: one, the government and its various entities remain dispassionate, impartial, and transparent; and two, no victimization takes place under various guises to curtail the freedom of expression. Can we hope – yet again – for fairness and justice so that the press in Pakistan continues to speak truth to power?