When your country is as cash-strapped as Pakistan is, the head of the country must come up with innovative ideas to improve the country’s financial health. In yet another gem from the mind of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Pakistan government in order to solve the debt crisis will now fine the country’s media a whopping Rs 2.5 crore if they failed to toe their line.
The Imran Khan government’s decision to bring in an ordinance to regulate the media has received stiff opposition from all sections of the country. The Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) ordinance 2021, has been squarely rejected by the country’s human rights bodies and media organisations. It is being criticised from all corners for its coercive censorship. In fact, the Opposition parties and media organisations have started referring to the ordinance as “martial law”.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman said, “Plans to centralise media oversight under one draconian authority, annual NOCs to remain operational, suspension/penalties on way.” If the new ordinance is passed, she claimed that the media outlets will “either become state mouthpieces or go under”.
Under one provision, the ordinance proposes to establish media tribunals to hand down punishments of up to three years in jail and PKR 25 million in fines to content producers for violating the new provisions which are repressive in nature.
Ever since the advent of the Imran Khan administration, the press freedom in the country has gone for a toss and has rapidly deteriorated. In fact, in October 2020, the EU Chronicle reported that the priority target of Pakistan’s military and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is the country’s media with actions of intolerance towards independent journalism have increased dramatically since July 2018 – which marked the advent of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor in May was attacked by three masked men at his Islamabad residence and was subsequently assaulted. CCTV footage showed an injured Toor walking out of the apartment with his hands and feet tied, pleading for help. According to Toor, “Under this regime, we have seen a spike in the attacks on the journalists. The reason for this is because the state of Pakistan has done so many illegal things. Now they get frustrated because those illegal acts didn’t deliver.”
The attack on Toor is not an isolated incident with scores of journalists being attacked, assaulted, abducted and interrogated ever since Imran Khan assumed the reigns.
Such has been the systemic attack on free press in Pakistan that s veteran journalist Hamid Mir was earlier this week stopped from hosting his popular talk show by GeoTV after he criticised the country’s powerful ”establishment” in the wake of the attack on Toor.
Mir delivered a fiery speech at journalists led protests where he demanded accountability in the attack. Commenting on the incident, Mir said, “Nothing new for me. I was banned twice in the past. Lost jobs twice. Survived assassination attempts but cannot stop raising voice for the rights given in the Constitution. This time I’m ready for any consequences and ready to go at any extent because they are threatening my family.”
On one hand, the Imran Khan administration is turning a blind eye to the rapidly increasing attacks on the journalists where on the other hand it is seeking to solve the country’s debt crisis by slamming a heavy fine who dare question the Pakistan government.