Pakistani Media to Face Wrath of the Government

Eleven new amendments have been introduced in the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), which would help the Musharaff regime to control the electronic media including TV channels, Internet and mobile TVs. The ordinance is promulgated when the Senate is technically still in session and a session of the National Assembly is scheduled for June 6th by none other than Gen. Musharaff himself and that too on the same day he promulgates this ordinance. The pretext given by the official spokesperson is that since NA is not in session therefore the ordinance is issued but the spokesperson failed to give the reason for this urgency that why two days before the NA session, such an ordinance is issued.

The amendments would not only give sweeping powers to PEMRA over contents of the TV channels but would also give the regulatory authority to become the real policeman for the media as it is empowered to send troops to confiscate the equipments of the TV channel besides sealing the building of the broadcasting unit and even cancel the license of the broadcaster, where it feels code of conduct is breached by a certain TV channel. Two of the amendments; i.e. section 5 and section 39 needs, dealing with the abovementioned powers, need special mention because these two have laced the PEMRA’s armory with a virtual nuclear arsenal.
On a day when the acting chief justice of Pakistan hearing a petition regarding the harassment and threatening of journalists says that an independent and free media is important for developing a democratic society, President Gen. Musharaff is advised by his directionless media advisors to promulgate an ordinance which will ultimately add fire to the fuel in the current political scenario.

Instead of brining their own house in order, the advisors seems to have taken a lead from previous military and civilian dictators and found an easy way to elbow out all sorts of criticism and ensure a bigger than ever playground for their follies to flourish. Starting from March 9 till now, we have not seen information ministry or so-called supporters of Gen. Musharaff coming to his rescue, especially when things are going the other way. Be it the matter of Stock exchange crash, Steel Mills privatization, suspension of Chief Justice, handling the congregation of opposition protestors outside the Supreme Court, Karachi bloodshed, or criticism of armed forces, we have not seen anyone standing their and blunting the opposition or the lawyers.

The turncoats surrounding the King seems to have no conviction at all, otherwise they would have also dared to come on the private TV channels and defended the government in the wake of overwhelming public criticism. Rather, their indecisiveness and dumbness seems to have indirectly given boost to opposition parties, which until March 9, had become totally irrelevant to Pakistani politics and all the euphoria of President Musharaff about economy, foreign reserves, debts elimination was badly hurting those exiled leaders and their followers who failed to deliver during their respective tenures in power.

In this whole scenario, Gen. Musharaff is overlooking the role of Information ministry and its acumen to deal with the media in this developing media world. Given his own standards, if media handling is left to Gen. Musharaff the chances are that he at-least would not take any step which will earn him enemies not friends. But since he has left this scientific field to thick-headed bureaucrats and turn-coats, he might need to come up with more ordinances to not only manage media but also political parties and even religious seminaries.

Unfortunately, despite spending millions on Press Information department and Pakistan Broadcasting Authority and more of the similar departments, none seems to be capable to deal with the emerging electronic media.

Almost eight years of President Gen. Musharaff have shown that he was always seen standing up and either facing the charges or blunting them with his own set of theories. Than what is the need of this whole façade of PID and other information ministry departments? Their unwritten agenda of arm-twisting seems to have failed too because neither it could control the electronic nor the print media from highlighting the activities of chief justice, opposition or Karachi carnage.

Either bureaucrats sitting in these departments are too lethargic or lack knowledge of spin-doctoring for the government. Being a bureaucrat is something different but being a spokesperson for a dictatorial regime is totally a different ball-game and those sitting on the helm of affairs better learn the art of communication or give way to someone more intelligent. These bureaucrats at best can deal with the media agents for their share of ads but my dealings with them have shown that they are at their worst when dealing with the real journalists and that’s where they lack training or acumen.

Therefore, President Gen. Musharaff should pay more attention where it is actually needed because by clamping on the media through ordinances is not going to win him any battle-fields. We have seen international media organizations like IFJ, CPJ, IFI and even US spokesperson for white house issuing statements denouncing Musharaff regime for not protecting journalists and for banning the airing of private TV channels.

Another side for Musharaff to look into is the Pakistan Television, which in this changing world is still not attractive enough for the audiences. If BBC, being a government-controlled entity can win the hearts and minds of its audiences, why not PTV? The reasons again is bureaucratic shackles which is hampering its growth and not letting it compete with the comparatively less equipped and probably less trained private TV channels.

Certainly, there is more to look inwards than towards ordinances and a perestroika like reforms are required to reconstruct this bureaucratic façade, which instead of modernizing the state, ensuring that it remains addicted to decades-old sleeping-pills formula. Let’s hope that Gen. Musharaff looks at it seriously and do something to sort out issues instead of further complicating them.