–

Despite the emergence of a “Naya Pakistan”, the morale of the public has not been

optimistic. With growing skepticism over human-rights abuses in Northern Pakistan

and Balochistan, strengthening of financial ties with Saudi Arabia that has raised

eyebrows, and the consistent growth in rates of unemployment and poverty. The

duty of assisting them beyond this pessimism lies in the hands of policy-makers, and

the entities that give them a voice.

Mandate and Additional Rules of Procedure:

The committee will broadly function similar to a regulatory body – albeit with greater

powers ordained. It will have all the powers that a regulatory agency does – with

respect to individual roles and powers that ministers, news agencies and

independent reporters will possess.

As a general guideline, delegates in this committee will generally not be required to

divert from the moderated caucuses that are under discussion, nor will they be

required to put themselves through extra labor regarding the work that they will

need to do. However, each delegate will have different roles to fulfil in this

committee.

Ministers: Each minister – with respect to the ministry they will control – can and

should provide perspective of the issue through the lens of their respective ministry.

For example, if the censorship of information is under discussion, then the Minister

of Information and Broadcasting can provide insight to how they’ll use the

jurisdiction ordained to ensure an increase in transparency via the use of PEMRA

(Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority), which will review the information

that is being aired with less scrutiny, allowing for more criticism of state machinery –

or, could even opt for additional scrutiny, if they feel like criticism should be further

reduced.

News Agencies: Alongside being an active part of the discussion, news agencies

will also be ordained with delivering news to the public. It is up to them, therefore,

to keep the biases and allegiances that certain news agencies possess while

reporting news. They may provide solutions to issues, but, press releases (which

will be explained later) will be of utmost importance as far as reporting news is

concerned. What needs to be kept in mind is that news agencies are profit-

seeking entities and will want to always write news that they think will sell.

Independent Journalists: Possessing more or less the same role as news

agencies, the only difference that journalists will have as far as reporting news is

concerned is that they will be representing the views of the individual rather than

an entire entity. They will also have an additional benefit of mobilizing support via

the use of the social media within their press releases.

Press Releases: This element is an added power that entities relating to the media

(news reporters and journalists) will possess – it will essentially be providing

information that has been discussed in the committee to the public. Delegates will

need to find a reasonable way to negotiate the way news will be framed, as a simple

majority (50% + 1) will be required in order for the document to be adopted by the

committee.

This committee, overall, can aim to discuss a variety of issues, ranging from, but not

limited to:

a. Policy-making;

b. Censorship;

c. Propaganda;

d. The “new” media (social media and online platforms);

Introduction to the Committee:

In the past, multiple laws have been devised with regards to media. The first one

came during the tenure of General Ayub Khan in 1962 who promulgated the Press

and Publication Ordinance (PPO). This act restricted the freedom of journalists and

gave power to authorities to close down newspapers, news providers and arrest

journalists. Pakistan radio (Radio Pakistan) and television (PTV) both came under

strict control of the state. Any possibility of an opposing viewpoint was blocked or if

anyone did so, they were faced with severe consequences. This atmosphere

continued more so till early 2000. From 2002, under General Musharraf, media faced

a decisive development that would lead to a boom in Pakistani electronic media and

paved the way to it gaining political clout. New media laws broke the state’s

monopoly on electronic media. TV and FM radio licenses were issued to private

media outlets. The liberalization of the electronic media in 2002 was coupled to a

bulk of regulations. The opening of the media market led to the mushrooming of

satellite channels in Pakistan.

However, despite having multiple channels representing various viewpoints, Pakistan

still remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists due to

the deteriorating security situation in the past couple of years. Twelve journalists

were killed in 2008; and so far by May 2009 six more have been killed. Threats and

intimidation against journalists and media workers by state and non-state actors has

been prevalent. State has rigorously carried out attempts to curb circulation of

different narratives. Reporters without Borders’ 2014 World Press Freedom Index

ranks Pakistan 158 out of 180, calling it “the world’s deadliest country for media

personnel.” This reflects severe restrictions on media freedom in the country which

includes widespread self-censorship among domestic news outlets, particularly

regarding coverage of the government’s security or intelligence services, or the

powerful nongovernment militias. Adding on, the passing of the Electronic Crime

Bill of 2016 has raised questions on the extent to which freedom of expression is

present in Pakistan.

This latest version of the cybercrime bill constitutes a serious threat to the

fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of expression of Pakistani citizens, as well

as to the work and safety of journalists in Pakistan.

Furthermore, media propaganda has played a huge role in pushing forward

narratives that benefit the media entities themselves. Media’s aim of profit

maximization has incentivized them to broadcast news and content that is

sensational and likely to garner the most viewership. In this process they often end

up compromising on the news values and ethics.

Another important aspect of media landscape in Pakistan is how the media focusses

on conflict and political stories whereas neglecting social issues mostly related to

minorities, marginalized groups or women’s rights as these issues do not get them

enough viewership. When media does not provide equal representation to all groups

which includes mainly the working class and marginalized groups, their point of

views and their struggles are never brought in front of the world which is why the

government is not as responsive when it comes to solving their issues and devising

policies.

Media plays a vital role in delivering policies. It acts as a primary conduit between

the public and government aiding in policy formulation. The government does not

only utilize the media to inform the citizens about the policy and its working but also

is an important tool to gain public’s feedback. Feedback of general public is

important for the smooth functioning of democracy.

Role of the Media in Shaping Public Narratives:

Media is actively involved in the socio-political dealings of the country in terms of

representations of different point of views. In the past we have seen how incidents

were brought to public’s attention through media broadcast. In a recent example

involving the social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, we saw media playing a huge

role in starting debate on this issue, in both positive and negative ways. On one

hand liberalists condemned the murder of Baloch marking it as silencing the voice

and freedom of expression of women whereas the conservative factions of the

country supported the murder and criticized media for giving so much attention to

Baloch. This led to beginning of a discussion and understanding the underlying

realities of the incident. Using their position of responsibility and in order to send a

message across the public, a renowned television channel also produced a drama

based on the life of Baloch.

With regards to political dealings as well, media is essential. In times of elections

media is important for political parties to send their message across. A lot of budget

is allocated by the political parties for running their campaigns on media. Media

through talk shows and debates also plays a part in helping answer the questions of

public. However, the process is not as straight forward and transparent as a lot of

media outlets are accused of broadcasting biased content. In Pakistan, we have

seen how different television channels are said to be associated with different

political parties hence only representing their agendas in a positive light while

criticizing others. This raises questions on the transparency of the news that is

broadcasted.

Topic: Politics of Free Media and Public Sentiment

Contrary to popular opinion, freedom of speech is not the inherent right to speak

whatever you wish or to speak about anything, in any context. It is the “right to

seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, by any means.” This

right, along with the freedom of expression, has been regarded as an international

human right under Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), article 19, which

states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and

"everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include

freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of

frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other

media of his choice".1 It is also understood to be an integral part of the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), whereby it is stated that the practice

of these rights is not without "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore

1 "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." United Nations. Accessed January 16, 2019. http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/.

be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or

reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order

(order public), or of public health or morals".2 Freedom of the media or freedom of

the press, is perhaps an extension to the aforementioned rights, and pertains to

expression and communication through various forms of media, including but not

limited to print and electronic media, and how expression through them should be

free from any restrictions. This implies the absence of any an overreaching state

from interfering, and therefore, several constitutional, judicial and legislative

protections are required to protect the abuse of these rights, which is ever-so

frequent in Pakistan.

In this growing age of digitalization, free media provides us with several benefits.

Firstly, it provides information to the masses and educates them in the process. This

also includes the spread of important information as news, across the globe

worldwide. In the process, masses of people become aware about major social

problems and issues, and the public reaction to such issues contributes to their

immediate assessment and the subsequent solutions.3 TV channels, newspapers and

other forms of media in Pakistan have relied on freedom of expression to educate

people about critical elements of societal and civic relationships. They do this by

broadcasting programs on these different avenues to create awareness amongst the

people on the vast social, cultural and political issues, leading to the promoting of

create civic sense and responsibility among the populace. In this context,

documentaries and movies are good examples. The awareness created at the hands

2 O'flaherty, Micheal. "Freedom of Expression: Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No 34." Review of Human Rights Law. Human Rights Law Review, December 12, 2012, 633. Accessed January 16, 2019. http://www.corteidh.or.cr/tablas/r29946.pdf. 3 "Freedom Of Media In Pakistan Blessing Or Bane? - Jahangir's World Times". 2019. Jahangir's World Times. http://jworldtimes.com/jwt2015/magazine-archives/jwt-2014/january_2014/freedom-of-media-in-pakistan-blessing-or-bane/.

of a freely functioning media industry improves the ability to take rational decisions

for individuals from all walks of life. Whether it is the ministers in high-level position,

those in bureaucracy or even a common man, awareness of the society in general

and the accessibility to information leads to a better decision making. For instance,

every law or policy that is implemented in the country, can be thought of being

repealed if the reception from the masses is negative. It also influences the

perceptions people have of other individuals, whether it’s Ali Zafar, a popular

Pakistani pop-star accused of sexual harassment, or Salman Butt, a former Pakistani

captain charged on the grounds of spot-fixing. In both these cases, and a multitude

of others, the role media has played in bringing them to public attention is critical,

and the scrutiny that media brings along with itself, promises more accountability for

all decisions that affect the public. Unsurprisingly, media presents an avenue for

justice for the populace.

Moreover, media supports and reinforces democracy.4 It is democracy, which acts at

the best system for people and media to exercise their freedom of speech, freedom

of action and ultimately, freedom of expression. It ensures a greater participation for

people of what problems need to be addressed with greater urgency and what is the

sort of action that needs to be taken to solve those problems. For the decision

makers in public-offices, it is not difficult to the gauge the reaction of people. Recent

developments demonstrate a gradual but promising shift in the political system of

Pakistan to true democracy. Through press, the shortcomings and successes of the

governments in clear in front of the public. The level of scrutiny and accountability

that comes with a free media is evident from the role it played in ousting President

4 "Freedom Of Media In Pakistan Blessing Or Bane? - Jahangir's World Times". 2019. Jahangir's World Times. http://jworldtimes.com/jwt2015/magazine-archives/jwt-2014/january_2014/freedom-of-media-in-pakistan-blessing-or-bane/.

Musharraf from office, while also highlighting the shortcomings of the subsequent

Zardari government, which led to the victory of Nawaz Sharif in 2013. Following the

pattern, the party most heavily-backed by the media (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf),

was victorious in the most recent elections. Hence, it can be safely said that just as

democratic regimes aid in the freedom for media industry, a freely-functioning media

also helps in sustaining a democratic system within the country.

The unprecedented freedom of the media, however, has not always been beneficial

to society. Firstly, there are a lot of instances in which media outlets spread

misinformation and create mass confusion.5 The primary function of media of

informing people is not entirely complete until both, valid and reliable information is

guaranteed. While the media acts as a system of accountability for other institutions

and individuals, the absence of a consolidated system of accountability and

transparency within the media itself as an institution has led to various actors

making use of the audience’s feelings and rationale to maintain their own ratings.

This exploitation of power to spread information, nonetheless damages important

elements of society by creating a false impression. For instance, a false impression

could be created of the government which, depending on the interests of these

media institution, could be good or bad, and can subsequently affect other aspects

like the country’s economy. This false impression is often covered on the grounds of

sensationalism in the journalism industry. This sensationalism is an immense adverse

effect on the minds of the Pakistani people, not only does it create undue negative

perception of a subject in the eyes of the locals, but also internationally. This affects

the tourism industry, as well as the level of foreign investment. Moreover, much like

5 "Freedom Of Media In Pakistan Blessing Or Bane? - Jahangir's World Times". 2019. Jahangir's World Times. http://jworldtimes.com/jwt2015/magazine-archives/jwt-2014/january_2014/freedom-of-media-in-pakistan-blessing-or-bane/.

any other institution, “absolute freedom leads to corruption like absolute power”.

The lack of regulation, results in the journalists disseminating propaganda of all

sorts, to malign their targets or engage in what is effectively called ‘media-trial’.

The disadvantages of media freedom therefore inadvertently gives rise to

‘censorship’. It is classified as suppressing public communication, information or

even speech, on the grounds the object or subject is potentially harmful, sensitive,

dangerous, objectionable or even blasphemous, for the general populace or

institutions. These include moral, military, political, religious and corporate

censorship. The following figure, according to the Freedom of the Press 2017,

highlights media freedom in Pakistan, in comparison with the rest of the world.

The Convolution of Journalism

As previously defined, media is what bridges the gap between the information and

the audience. Ideally, it should depict the reality through a transparent lens in which

biases are sterilized. But the actuality is far from this. Nations have misinterpreted

the role of media to such an extent that their definition of ‘misinformation’ lacks

authenticity. Initially, the birth of Pakistan marked the official beginning of the

Pakistani Media however with the passage of time, a subtle change went unnoticed.

It was too late when the transition of the role of media got recognized; its obligation

to gather and spread accurate information had become flexible and there was an

aspect of ‘negative freedom’ observed.

This misinterpretation of the media was two-sided; while the general public chose to

stick with the ‘authenticity’ the media maintained, media agencies expanded their

boundaries to incorporate ‘subjectivity’ to their motive. It was ironic how the media

had, by itself, molded the word; subjectivity in a sense that took into account the

perspective they wanted to disclose. They were successful enough to blur the visions

of the audience but had neglected that the truth was to be yet to be revealed. They

disregarded that people deserved to inquire for their unanswered or rather ignored

questions. Moreover, they, subtly, tried to manipulate the masses by depriving them

of the multi-dimensions of the statuesque.

This in turn places another responsibility upon the masses; they need to critically

engage in socio-political debate and analyze the information provided by the media.

The past was a paradox to which the future demands, as initially the public opinion

of how the media has been beneficial to the entire nation was a misinterpretation.

This was because the media, itself, had deliberately misconstrued its responsibility to

spread and as a result, it was brainwashing citizens to make them think as they

wanted them to. This devious game is yet to be decoded because the youth will not

only reject the one-way perspective the media is trying to instill within them but will

instead seize the power of media using their freedom of speech. Therefore, there

exists an urgent need to reconsider the considered and delve into the details of the

news in a critical manner. This will not only help create awareness about the rising

‘negative-media’ but will also help maintain the legitimacy and transparency of the

media. ("The Negative Bias Of The Media" 2019)6 Hence, it is not to be ignored that

the time has come when these media agencies make up for the ideological loss the

nation went through. Therefore, it is upon these very individuals to question, critique

and reform because otherwise the humanitarian right to speech will barely exist.

Media bias and its implications/Influence of Political Parties on Media

Agencies

As established earlier, the media didn’t provide the public with a clear perspective of

reality, amplifying the bias it incorporated in its strategies. There have been

instances where the media channels were tagged as biased towards political parties

they had strong ties with and that in turn, defamed media in front of its own

audience. Geo News was labeled as pro-government in Nawaz Sharif’s regimes while

Dunya News have proud of individuals tagging it as the representative of the youth.

Here, youth was categorized as siding with Imran Khan. Limiting the thought

process of members of media agencies is a drawback of supporting a political party

as individuals. Thus, individuals working for the media agencies are unable to

visualize the opponent’s view as if it doesn’t even exits. Furthermore, the process

becomes so entrenched that the power to critique fades away. Media bias is a two-

way concept; it exists in two ways. Either it can ensure its presence by omitting

certain views or by selecting specific stories to appear in the news. ("Types Of Bias

6 "The Negative Bias Of The Media". 2019. Pakistan Insider. http://insider.pk/world/media/the-negative-bias-of-the-media/.

In Television & Media - Stop Liberal Bias In Television & Media - Do More Than

Simply Not Watching, Boycott The Advertisers! - Mad As Hell Boycott" 2019)7

Media bias can be divided into two main categories:

a) Agenda bias,

It is crucial to understand how significant certain stories are, to media

agencies because there might exist a personal benefit that gives birth to

agenda bias. The fact that big media corporations tend use unique tactics to

maintain the engagement of the audience with the information they deliver

because the essence of an assertive hook in news stories boosts up the rate

at which public, at large, follows the media group. The brand image involved

serves as an incentive to reveal breaking news that keep the audience in the

loop. Furthermore, agenda bias can also be a result of personality bias that is

explained below or a bias regarding certain political party.

b) Personality bias,

Charisma is one quality individuals look for, within their leaders and

understanding the pattern of likeability of political actors by the public, some

news corporations provide a lot more coverage to particular personalities.

Apart from this, there is an element of fear involved at times; bribery within

media has always been a factor that contributes to media bias. This further

contributes to media corruption; a problem that exists but is often never

questioned. Sometimes, if the political actor has a strong inclination towards a

political party, the media ends up in a vicious cycle where it is labelled as a

7 "Types Of Bias In Television & Media - Stop Liberal Bias In Television & Media - Do More Than Simply Not Watching, Boycott The Advertisers! - Mad As Hell Boycott". 2019. Mad As Hell Boycott, Stop Fake News. https://www.madashellboycott.com/types-of-media-bias/.

representative of only one political party. This can have a positive and a

negative impact, it depends on the way they transmit information signals.

Taking into account how media bias works, untangling the reality portrayed by the

media requires an in-depth analysis from a neutral perspective to ensure that

effective policies are drafted that cater to prevailing critical issues that demand

attention.

Implication of restricted media and its contrast with countries that have

free media

Despite modern media in Pakistan convoluting the principles of journalism in favor of

sensationalism and ‘profitable news’, there is much to be said about the causality

between societal growth and media freedom. “Journalists should be aware that in

today´s world, they are the last defense against manipulation and misinformation.

Fact-based and serious journalism is not merely a demand, but an existential

antidote against narcissistic nationalism, nihilism and resentment.”8 The linkage

between the freedom of media and democracy has been charted out by various

scholars, each offering a largely similar analysis of a positive correlation existing

between the two. However many of these opinions are somewhat anachronistic,

given the rapid evolution of democracy and media. Keeping in mind the time we

occupy, it may be fruitful to understand how the provision of free media (or a lack

thereof) has affected the political and social processes of various states.

8 "If Freedom Of The Press Is Democracy, Then What Do You Call This?". 2019. Opendemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/democraciaabierta/manuel-nunes-ramires-serrano/if-freedom-of-press-is-democracy-then-what-do-you-call-this.

Sweden:

In 1766 Sweden became the first nation in the world to protect media freedom

through their constitution. Following this landmark achievement, four fundamental

laws were passed:

i) The Instrument of Government,

ii) The Freedom of the Press Act,

iii) The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression,

iv) The Act of Succession.

As integral parts of the Swedish Constitution these laws take precedence of most

other laws, thereby giving Swedish society the agency to embrace these freedoms

under the protection of state machinery. Consequentially journalism took its place as

a system of accountability, given that the right to information of all citizens was

secured, alongside the protection of journalists. “The Freedom of the Press Act

states that those in authority must be held accountable and all information must be

freely available. The identities of sources who provide publishers, editors or news

agencies with information are protected, and journalists can never be forced to

reveal their sources.”9 By endowing the apolitical Office of the Chancellor of Justice

with the power to investigate cases of the abuse of the freedom of speech, Sweden

has attempted to create a society conducive to encouraging transparency, honesty

and freedom. The results of this are evident in the rankings of Sweden on the

Human Development Index, Media Freedom and even on Democracy Ranking

(Sweden has placed amongst the top 5 in each of these).

9 "Openness Shapes Swedish Society". 2019. Sweden.Se. https://sweden.se/society/openness-shapes-swedish-society/.

Venezuela:

On November 9th, 2017, the Venezuelan assembly passed a bill called ‘Law against

hate, for peaceful coexistence and tolerance’. Despite the progressive phrasing of

this act, it simply allowed to government to crack down on any news agencies that

appeared to be portraying Venezuela as less than peaceful. Any shared content that

is suspected to incite violence is met with harsh state authority. Alongside this news

outlets also have to constantly broadcast state sponsored messages of ‘peace,

tolerance, equality and respect’.10 Under the premier of the nation, Nicolas Maduro,

an entire generation of polarized Venezuelans has erupted, with vile rhetoric being

spewed on social media from a variety of ideological standpoints. It is clear that the

crisis facing Venezuela may have had its roots set in a myriad of problems, however

the way out is set partly in the freedom of media. “Transparency International last

Corruption Perception Index, published last year, lists Venezuela as the most corrupt

country in all of the Americas.”11 By disallowing the general populace from gathering

information regarding the actions of politicians and the harm they have done to their

own state, these politicians continue to get elected and then have the capacity to

create a parliament geared towards keeping them in power. The aforementioned bill

is the perfect example of a government oppressing information in order to maximize

its autocratic authority. The clear contrast between these two states should highlight

exactly why the role of the media and policies regarding it, should be of such vital

interest to this ministry.

10 Alberti, Mia. 2019. "Venezuela Media Law: 'Threat To Freedom Of Expression'?". Aljazeera.Com. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/venezuela-media-law-threat-freedom-expression-171117180846540.html. 11 Rapoza, Kenneth. 2019. "Press Freedom Is Dying In Venezuela". Forbes.Com. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2017/12/28/press-freedom-is-dying-in-venezuela/#51fecc9c58ce.

The potential for fear-mongering

The visions become clearer while the media stagnates in a trough of ideological

manipulation. Despite the awareness amongst the masses and the increased level of

critical analysis by young scholars, the media remains successful in expanding its

control. There have been several instances that illustrate the extent to which media

generates a false consciousness at an individual level which then results in an

extreme public reaction.

A passenger plane crash in Islamabad in December 2018 is one of the examples that

marked the media going out of its bounds. It underlined how ‘negative-media’ was

used to push the masses into a pessimist depression. It was Pakistan International

Airlines that had to bear the loss of around 50 people in a remote mountainous

region. As the process of journalists travelling to the site was time-consuming, to

cater to the continuously increasing pressure upon the media, Pakistan TV stations

opted to spread unverified news. This was followed by situations where unqualified

reporters were set accountable to answer inquiries from people. This uncovers the

falsely-set priorities of the media corporations when inexperienced journalists speak

for the entire population and Pakistanis overseas.

The lack of ethics is accompanied by another example of the death of Abdul Sattar

Edhi when a journalist reported from the grave of Abdul Sattar Edhi. It was ironic

how ethics have been overshadowed to such an extent that the media corporations

fail to comply with moral standards in search of fame. This explains why the

government should take into account the mandate of media while drafting public

policies. Because otherwise, the country will forever commodify journalism into

mindless sets of information that an audience is willing to consume.

Although former instances represent how media pushes its boundaries to uncertain

extremes but the media blackout during the 2018 elections in Pakistan created great

hype on TV stations. The time results were to be announced was long gone and the

media, again, was under great pressure by its audience. Although the reason why

the results were not released in a given time frame was later clarified by the Election

Commission of Pakistan but prior to this, there was a series of ideological turnovers

that the nation went through. Despite the fact that the crashing of the system, that

was expected to deliver the results, was the reality, journalists like Kamran Khan on

Dunya News illustrated a whole new scenario that was doubtful of the country’s

future and the safety of political actors.12 Confusion, because of a lack of

information, had led to the discovery of a thought process that was far-fetched. This

not only reassured how media portrayal works alongside pessimist ideologies but

rather warned the audience to examine and critically engage with the news spread.

Examples like these have proven that blind trust towards the media is not, most of

the times, a rational choice to make. Issues like these require an in-depth

exploration of the information provided to the masses before they end up in a

vicious cycle of manipulation.

12Adnan, Imran. "What Stopped Polling Staff from Declaring Results?" The Express Tribune. July 27,

2018. Accessed January 16, 2019. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1767181/1-stopped-polling-staff-

declaring-results/.

Case Studies:

How media was restricted to certain bounds during Zia’s time and what was its

impact?

Pakistani media had been censored many times before, but the tenure of General

Zia ul Haq was a cut above. President Zia, on 15 October 1979 to be precise, began

to clamp down on the media after he started to feel that it had gained enough

freedom to challenge and subsequently criticize his authoritarian and dictatorial

rule.13 Such was the initial censorship scheme that the Press Gagging Act-1857 of

the British colonizers seemed relatively benevolent. The government consequently

began deciding on what was to be published and what was not to be published, in a

new form of a censorship regime, which the Pakistani public was supposedly

‘blessed’ with. Pre-publication censorship was enforced through provincial

governments, in a plan of action that was the first of its kind. Following that, on 17

October 1979, two Karachi based newspaper, Daily Sadaqat and Daily Musawat,14

were banned from publishing by the Sindh administrative government. Although

each publication center adopted its own method of censorship, the most accepted

mode was that once the pages that were ready to be printed, they were physically

transported to the department of information after a cut-off time, where designated

officers examined each piece that was to be published. This material ranged from

opinionated articles, news items, journalistic content or even photographs. In case

any object was deemed objectionable, the following material would be subsequently

removed and would not be printed. The process was simple, but devastating, as

they infringed upon a basic human right, the right to access information and the

13 Aziz, Shaikh. 2019. "A Leaf From History: Four Journalists Flogged, Two Newspapers Shut". DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1179170. 14 Aziz, Shaikh. 2019. "A Leaf From History: Four Journalists Flogged, Two Newspapers Shut". DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1179170.

right of freedom for media. For President Zia, it was all about changing perception

and thus preventing any criticism or negativity against the government. Initially, for

newspapers that had been partly censored, white space would instead be published

on the respective pages. Some editors seemingly found a way beyond this, when

they deliberately put in material pertaining to governmental criticism and allowed it

to be replaced by white space.15 In this way, most readers would understand the

basic idea of what could have possibly been deleted, and severed as an important

way of freely expressing ideas, and perhaps creating a propaganda, if needed.

Ultimately, the authorities realized this and subsequently, new orders were issued to

have an adequate amount of news as backup, that would replace any of the

censored content and ensured that no ‘white-space’ was printed. The intense wave

15 Aziz, Shaikh. 2019. "A Leaf From History: Four Journalists Flogged, Two Newspapers Shut". DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1179170.

of censorship sparked protests and led to the arrests and prosecution of a number of

journalists and media related personnel, eleven of whom were sentenced by military

tribunals in May 1978. The reason for their prosecution was based on the Martial

Law Regulation, article 5 and article 33, that pertained to organization of open

meetings, hunger strikes, banners and slogans. President Zia followed this by

enforcing the regulation 49 in December 198016, which condemned the printing of

any content that was in conflict with the national security, integrity, civil order, and

upon violating this ordinance, the perpetrator would be handed a jail sentence of up

to ten years, fine and even lashes. The idea of beating with lashes of inspired by the

ideology of ‘Islamization’, and was the first of its kind in the subcontinent. Press

censorship continued, alongside radio and TV related content. This also included the

government intervening and changing the formats of the contents broadcasted, and

even the broadcasted content itself. In fact, only the content that was deemed

appropriate by the authorities was allowed to be broadcasted. Even art, literature

and other forms of expression had to undergo an immense struggle during the era

of General Zia-ul-Haq, an era where any freedoms of speech or action granted

universally, were very limited at best.

GEO News banned

It was early April last year in 2018, when Pakistan's prominent news channel Geo TV

went black and remained off the cable, inaccessible to the masses and in response

to that, no one in the position of authority had a justification for it.17 In fact,

ministers from the government the broadcasting regulators denied any involvement

or knowledge of this suspicious incident. In a country where the press freedom is

16 Zaidi, S. Akbar. 2019. "Special Report: Darkness Descends 1977-1988". DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1364410. 17 "Why Did Pakistan's Geo TV Go Dark?". 2019. Aljazeera.Com. https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2018/04/pakistan-geo-tv-dark-180411070826615.html.

curtailed by those in authorities if it fails to meet their agenda, the uninformed

blackout of Geo News was a terrible news. Previously, the Pakistan Electronic Media

Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), has put various bans on multiples channels in recent

times, on grounds that they air objectionable content. However, this blackout was

much more severe, unexpected, and perhaps a true violation of an internationally

recognized human right. The cable operations responsible for shutting down Geo

News all of a sudden, stood silent too, as did the Pakistani military, which had

opposed the channel in the past.18 It is unsurprising that the military was indeed

considered as the primary suspect for having ordered the blackout.

Despite a massive political uplift in Pakistan after the demise of General Zia-ul-Haq,

his dictatorial policies still have a massive influence over the governance in the

country. The state narrative is strong, and any institution that opposes it, has to face

the consequences. Perhaps, this was the case with Geo. As an answer to the crises

the private news channel was in, Ayesha Siddiqa, a Research Associate at SOAS

University and the author of Military Inc, said that

"[w]hat we see now is actually Geo trying to not completely follow the state

narrative on politics and that is largely considered to be the source of current

friction between the channel and the military. Geo was offering a bit of an

alternative and even that was not tolerated.It's a very critical moment in

Pakistan's media industry when it has to make choices and stand up for itself.

Because if it doesn't stand up, then there will be little difference between

Sisi's Egypt and this Pakistan."19

18 ibid 19 Ibid

Authorities in different countries tend to become less tolerant of critical journalism as

elections approach- and later that year, Pakistan had its own election, where in an

instance seldomly seen in Pakistani governance, a democratically elected

government was replaced by another. The topics Geo covered before the elections

and during them was 18th amendment, a constitutional change made in 2010, which

prohibits the engagement in political areas of the military, aspects that are beyond

its ambit of defence. With the role the military has historically played in Pakistani

politics, it was unsurprising that the COAS, wanted to abolish the amendment, and

thus, the stance Geo News had taken, became politically contentious. During these

times, owing to his visibility on the channel, it was allegedly claimed that another

reason why Geo News was removed the eyes of the public, was because of its

support for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted from his office on

the charges of corruption. In response, Hamid Mir, a journalist and senior anchor at

Geo News stated that, "Recently, New York Times wrote an article and they claimed

that Geo is supporting Nawaz Sharif, so that's why some powerful people in Pakistan

are not happy with the Geo TV. But even if Geo is supporting Nawaz Sharif, it is not

a legal excuse to shut down a TV channel."

What was even more shocking however, was the response, or the lack of it, from

the other Pakistani news channels and institutions. The community stood in silence,

much like those in authority. The only logically explanation that could have been

derived for this behavior, was that in an already saturated media industry of

Pakistan, the demise of a powerhouse was good news for the competitors. Good

news it was, but economically. For their freedoms, this sets a dangerous precedent

for the media and press in Pakistan, and inevitably leads to their policing, due to

their own fears of being banned if they air content that goes against the authorities,

or the writ of the state. For one thing is clear, banning news channels and media is a

direct violation of the Pakistani constitution, and it’s guaranteed right to access

information, for the people of Pakistan.

Questions a Bill Must Answer

Q. What is the right to “free speech”? Does it have any reasonable limits? Which

ones?

Q. What is the right to privacy? To what extent can the media report news that does

not breach it?

Q. To what extent should the media be allowed to report information relating to

political campaigning? If so, should it be regulated? How?

Q. Should there be stricter scrutiny on false information (e.g. false figures, incorrect

witness statements) of the media, or does that challenge journalistic integrity?

Q. What is media censorship? To what extent does it occur in Pakistan? Should it be

increased, or lessened? Why so?

Q. What is the “new media”? What is its role in changing public / political narratives?

Q. What role did the media play in the scandal regarding Qandeel Baloch? What

could it have done otherwise?

Q. What is propaganda? How does the media act as an agent of propaganda? How

can this be decreased, or increased?

Q. How does the media influence policy-making, as a pressure group? Should it play

a greater role, or should its capacity to influence policy be reduced?