Regulation and restraints of media

From the year of establishment of Pakistan i.e. 1947 till now, the entire history has been full of various problems and economic difficulties and economic difficulties and it was the duty of the media to convey all the facts to the people truthfully.

It is sad to say that today it cannot be claimed by any pillar of the state whether it is the media, politicians, military authorities, or the judiciary that it has performed its duties as a judge.

The military authorities are accused of repeatedly interfering in the affairs of the legislature, the judiciary is also accused of supporting dictators, and politicians have been accused and proven of corruption, bribery, and nepotism in every era.  

If we talk about the media, the media has not fulfilled its duties responsibly in any period. The truth reached the people, but what the dictators allowed to reach and what the government wanted to show, the media had to bring the same things to the people, but then the media got freedom.

It was hoped that the situation would improve after the freedom of the media, but it did not happen. The media, which used to make headlines about politicians’ bribery, nepotism, and corruption, today is trying to justify itself even after being exposed to the public.

Then the politicians were not left behind. In the past, the Imran Khan government and now the Shahbaz Sharif government are not behind anyone in imposing restrictions on the media which can only be aimed at showing the public the side of the picture in which all the government’s actions are nothing but beautiful and admirable.

Yesterday, cases were registered against well-known hosts Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada and Syed Akbar Hussain for inciting rebellion against institutions on May 9 through social media. Reports of the arrest of well-known YouTuber Adil Raja also came out.

The Lahore High Court has given 10 days time to the police to recover the missing TV host and well-known journalist, Imran Riaz Khan.

The concerning element is that Pakistan is going through its worst period economically when several economists have opined that Pakistan has defaulted economically, only the announcement by the government, which was announced by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. 

According to Ishaq Dar, if anyone says that Pakistan has defaulted or is about to default, then he should be ashamed. He also said that Pakistan will not default. If Ishaq Dar’s words are to be accepted, it is impossible to deny the economic crisis.

More worryingly, the reasons for the economic sanctions imposed on Pakistan due to its inclusion in the FATF gray list and the role of sanctions in Pakistan’s approach to default cannot be ignored. 

Of course, restrictions on the media are not as important from FATF as measures such as terrorist financing and money laundering, but other international organizations, including FATF, are committed to protecting the rule of law in any country. Limits are important and restrictions on media, the disappearance of journalists, and registration of cases against them are also included in such factors.

There is a need for the current government to understand these problems and come forward to prevent such incidents so that the way to solve Pakistan’s economic problems can be paved.