Naseebullah Khan
The Media in Pakistan is in existential crises internally and externally both. On one side the lives of the journalists are at stake whereas on the other side, news is killed through propaganda for personal gains. Biasness is at its peak while, thousedns of workers have lost their jobs. Freedom of thoughts remains a dream. The traditional role of media is no where. These have made Pakistan,s ranking in freedom of media pathetic where according to the RSF (Reporters without borders) Pakistan ranking in freedom of press has declined to 157 out of 180 in 2022 which Was 145 out of 180 in 2021. In the Reporters without Borders’ 2014 World Press Freedom Index rank, Pakistan was 158 out of 180. It means nothing has changed for 6 years. The safety of media persons in Pakistan has been a huge issue. For one or another reason journalists are abducted or killed. According to the IFC (International Federation of Journalists) 190 journalists have been killed since 1990. While, from 2012 to 2022 in Pakistan 54 media persons have been killed While its number in 2022 is 6. Regrettably, in these murder cases, the conviction rate is only 4 percent. Despite their safety, joblessness has been aonther issue which the media workers have been facing as 8000 media persons and workers have lost their jobs yet. Suffocation of freedom of thoughts, and selective journalism have been defacing the so called media freedom in Pakistan. Political shows on the TV screans have been full of those who are expert in exxageration and abusing. They are invited to the rubbish purpose of ranking. The intellectual and sane voices are rarely invited in the shows. Moreover, the selection does not stop here as many people are barred from appearing on TV screens. In near past, three times prime minister Nawaz Sharif along with his daughter were banned. Recently, in Asma Jahangir conference Hamid Mir accepted that i cannot invite Manzoor Pashteen in my program. In the midst of these, how can we claim media freedom? How shameful is when Nawaz sharif was band on appearing on media during Imrsn Khan in power the PML and its allies repeatedly talked of curbs on media freedom. When they are in power, they have been repeating the same as the PTI government had been repeating. This proves the hypothesis that Politicians when in government talk one thing when they are in opposition they talk otherwise. They use media as a weapon against their political rivals. Subsequent government always wished to control media, suffocate truth, and use it as a weapon against the rivals. In the midst of which the sanctity of thoughts are killed. The division in Pakistani media ia further inflicting media freedom. There are two groups where one segment is siding with the PTI while the other is supporting the PML. When the PTI came into power it pressurised its rival media group by launching FIR against its owner, by banning airing of talk shows and by stopping ads. The same has been happening in the coalition government of the PDM where FIR are being launched against the opponent journalists. Like its predecessor, the PML led coalition government has stopped the provision of ads to rival media group. The media has been divided into good and bad journalists. Those who support one political party is good and those who support the other is bad. The media houses have been promoting the narratives of political parties. In the midst of this game of hide and seek, the loser is media itself which has lost its credibilty. The traditional role of media is no where. Media in Pakistan particularly electronic media has become politicized. In search of ranking its has alomst said no to the traditional role of information, guidance, and entertainment. It has become a tool of propaganda, and naming and shaming through its biased approaches. Contest in Media specially in electronic media is another aspect that has derailed the true traditional of media such as to provide information, to entertain and to guide. As per a survey published in Pakistan social science review September 2020, the TV programs contents in 2020 were such as; 50.56 percent were about politics, 22.47 percent about economy, 5.61 percent about terrorism, 4.49 percent about judiciary, 14.60 percent were about regional and global issues while only 2.24 percent were about social and developmental issues. Misuse of social media is an emerging obstacle in the true dissemination of news. In Pakistan social media has become a big platform of abusing, women harrassment, blaming and shaming, propaganda, and privacy violation. To regulate social media in the country the Peca act 2016 was approved which was repealed in 2022. According to the act, Court had to decide defamation cases of individuals and institutions in 6 months Jail from 2 to 5 years. It was overruled by Islamabad high court in April 2022. Despite its weaknesses it was an admirable act with respect to social media regulation, protection of data and privacy, copying, cyber terrorism, glorification of violence, hate speech, electronic fraud,etc. Apart from the Peca, in 2020, Citizens protection (against online harns) rules 2020 and removal and blocking of unlawful online content (procedure, oversight, and safeguard) rules 2020 were in pipeline which were criticized by journalists organization in Pakistan and by the RSF (reporters without borders) on the prext on curbing freedom of though and censorship. Hence, these rules were not regulated. Pakistani media is in serious internal and external dangers. On one side, the credibility of journalism is on stake due to propaganda and division of media houses while on the other side the safety of the journalists has suffocated the freedom of thoughts. Moreover, set asiding the traditional role of media where the contents are mainly based upon politics and other issues rather then social and developmental issues of the masses, joblessness of media workers and irregularity of social media have been providing fuel to he already pathetic situation. These piteous indicators have made Pakistan on number 157 out of 180 countries in the index of freedom of media throughout the world. There is a dire need of introspection. Will sanity prevail?
