THE major Pakistani television channel Geo News had been under attack for some time. It was alleged that the channel was anti-Pakistan. The shindy began when Geo journalist and anchor Hamid Mir survived an assassination attempt. Geo alleged that the ISI and its chief Lt. General Zaheerul Islam had been behind the attack. It apologized later for its accusation. However, Pakistan’s defence ministry had been asking for its shutdown. The civilian government assured that it would not happen. But this is old news. The latest development is that the civilian government has yielded to pressure and not only suspended the channel’s licence for 15 days but also slapped on it a fine of $ 10,000. The assassination attempt and the punitive action against Geo are blatant evidence of the curbing of free speech resulting in the mauling of civilian institutions. It is a platitude to say that democracy cannot flourish without an independent media. Nawaz Sharif’s government should go all out to defend Geo if it believes in a modicum of democracy.
New Delhi will watch developments, especially the ISI’s moves. On that going to India’s satisfaction will depend its prospects of peace with Pakistan. A free media in Pakistan is a proof of the bona fides of that country’s democratic intentions. A great deal of disinformation now clouds bilateral relations between India and Pakistan. A free functioning of Islamabad is linked with the existence of a free media serving objective news. It may be noted that one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initial assurances was that freedom of the press and the electronic media in India will not be curtailed.
