Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression is inherently valuable as part of the self-actualisation of the speakers and listeners. There have always been limitations to express freely and the threshold varies from country to country.

But was the media really free in Pakistan prior to 3rd of November 2007? Is the media right to claim that it was being responsible and professional. With the power to beam into millions of homes around the globe comes the grave responsibility of being just and fair.

By inviting ignorant and bewildered politicians in a talk show and to let them say what ever they feel like is not really freedom. When ever breaking news occurs instead of inviting specialised analysts, certain channels would interview their own senior journalists, who would present personal opinions as news items. e.g.

(Translated in English from Urdu)

S M: “Why do you think the emergency has been imposed?” (Interview over the phone)

H M: “This is all a conspiracy hatched by the USA in the war on terror, where the deposed chief justice was releasing so called terrorists and this was unacceptable to the west therefore it was done under their patronage.”

This might as well be a conversation of two lay people sitting by the roadside. I have no qualms, if they want to make such allegation, but it should be a part of a well researched and investigated documentary and not a frantic news statement.

No where in the west are military operations covered live as they were in Pakistan. The USA learnt its lessons from the Vietnam War and since then journalists are embedded with the troops during wars and are shown only specific things.

Ironically the media portrays that modernization means westernization and this has lead to the creation of completely distant and confused generation. The truth is not far from the opposite. We see young TV hosts trying to speak English in an imitated foreign accent, while our soaps are cheap imitations of an already plagiarized media industry across the border.

How many journalists can report on the crimes by feudal lords in the rural areas of Pakistan and then continue to walk the planet? I have yet to see a single documentary of how criminally minded our political parties and politicians really are (all of them).

The media was never really free in Pakistan and it will never be until we free ourselves from the feudal and colonial mindset.

But, nevertheless, banning and subjugating fundamental rights is not the answer to anything.

Naom Chomsky says in one of his documentaries “"Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you're in favor of free speech, then you're in favor of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise. Otherwise, you're not in favor of free speech."