Media Censorship in Pakistan

Media Censorship in Pakistan
Image Source: Dawn

The media is known as the Fourth Estate. Thereby, in a democracy, the media acts as a counterbalance, and a watchdog vis-a-vis the first three estates namely the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

This premise necessitates that media in all its forms, should be free of influence by government or other state actors to be completely impartial and to enjoy a level of credibility whereby reported facts, figures, and stories can be believed and trusted as the truth.
Unfortunately, this ‘fourth pillar of democracy’ in Pakistan is suffering a crisis of Independence and confidence.

A gloomy picture of freedom of press.

Pakistani journalists hoist black flags at the National Press Club building as they chant slogans during a protest for press freedom and against moves to curtail the distribution of Pakistan’s oldest English-language newspaper, Daily Dawn, in several parts of the country in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Source: The Washington Post

In Pakistan, the roots of Journalism have been shaken and weakened by the military-politician-clergy nexus.

Despite the fact that Pakistan has recently witnessed an unprecedented period of civilian rule, this is just a 10 year long pseudo-democracy in Pakistan where the freedom of the press has actually declined with the powers that be imposing a regime of self-censorship on the media.

“Today, we have a façade of democracy, the constitution is intact, but behind the scenes dark forces are using all means necessary to control journalism,” veteran journalist Nasir Zaidi, one of the few who was flogged during the dictatorship of General Ziaul Haq in the 1980s, said.

The term the ‘dark forces’ is synonymous to the country’s powerful military establishment and intelligence agencies.
Violence against members of press is not a new concept here. The past few years witnessed a noticeable increase in the attacks on Pakistani journalists that solidified the perception that whoever takes on military dictators will have to bear the brunt of both direct and indirect repression.

Pakistan is on the list of countries the CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists), an independent organisation working to promote press freedom worldwide, and is considered most deadly for journalists. It’s recent report puts out that though the statistics of killings of journalists in Pakistan has gone down, there has been concurrent decline in press freedom occasioned by the climate of fear.

A study conducted by Media Matters for Democracy
Source: Pakistan Today

Reporters now face a form of self-censorship due to a "widespread sense of intimidation" by the most powerful institution in Pakistan today.

"Today we don't know what will annoy them,"
"Today we have to do self-censorship and that is the worst kind of censorship, because it is done out of fear."
Qazi Salauddin, a veteran Pakistani journalist said of the military.

Scared and apprehensive journalists in the Pakistani newsroom have now drawn a red line that they cannot cross. The self-censorship means caution is frequently exercised while reporting on subjects that include religious extremism, land disputes, militants, and the economy — subjects that can provoke government officials, militant groups, religious extremists, or the military.

How the attack on media affects coverage

Pakistani Media blackout of Pashtuns, Balochis, Sindhis & PoKs
Cartoon by Mujaid Alam (Twitter)

Over the past years there have been multiple movements over the issue of missing persons that has led to an endless insurgency in Balochistan, but there is hardly any coverage and the issue remains largely unaddressed.

On December 8th, a police case was filed against two journalists Sailaab Mehsud, affiliated with Dawn newspaper and Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty's Mashaal Radio, and Zafar Wazir of the local channel Khyber TV, who had been covering the rally organised by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (Pashtun Protection Movement - PTM), which campaigns for Pashtun rights.

Pashtun protests have burgeoned, but due to self-censorship a complete media blackout has been maintained on reporting these protests.

‘Human rights movements that demand justice for missing persons have cropped up and died down almost instantly.’

In early December, the Pakistani authorities blocked the website of Voice of America's Pashto language radio service.

In order to build a “positive image” of the country, lines of control have been established that stifle the press.
The PEMRA (Pakistan's electronic media regulatory authority) issued advisory notes calling on media outlets not to air "derogatory and malicious content" against the judiciary and the army and also not to report excessively on topics such as violence, kidnapping, sexual abuse, terrorism and natural disasters.

As a tactic to control the media advertising revenue originating from Govt. agencies has been cut down drastically. Websites critical of military operations have been shut down. Authorities have even targeted social media platforms asking Twitter and Facebook to suspend accounts for reasons ranging from criticism of the military to allegedly propagating hatred.

Journalist Cyril Almeida was charged with treason after he published an interview with Nawaz Sharif in which the former prime minister accused the Pakistani military of aiding the militants who carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Taha Siddiqui, a blogger and journalist who is critical of the security services, lives in self-imposed exile in France after an attempt on his life earlier this year, which he blamed on the ISI.
Journalist Matiullah Jan, labeled "anti-state" by the military for his criticism of the judiciary and army, called the crackdown "a systematic attempt by the military and its intelligence agency to assert control with a facade of a democratically elected government."

There are areas where DAWN (Pakistan’s oldest English-language daily) is barred from distribution, and where Geo News is not being broadcasted.

These are just a few examples of the declination of press freedom is Pakistan within the past one year. Freedom of press is on its last legs in Pakistan.

Is there a way forward?

Free Media Essential for Democracy in Pakistan

The crisis of independence that the media is suffering in the present times is far more dangerous than the state-backed censorship of General Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship in 1980s. Censorship has only gotten worse over the past years. The country’s powerful military has been quietly, but effectively encouraging the ‘self-censorship’.

"The military bars access to certain areas, uses direct and indirect acts of intimidation, and even allegedly instigates violence against reporters to prevent critical reporting," the CPJ report noted.

Societal repression and dictatorship, even if disguised as a democracy, seals the outlets for expression and ultimately engenders an explosion. The signs do not bode well for Pakistan.