VIEW: Perfidious self-righteousness —Mohammad Jamil

It is unfortunate that some anchorpersons, reporting editors, and investigative reporters are conducting themselves as lobbyists, propagandists and embedded journalists

Usama Khalid, son of Khalid Khawaja, has requested the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of Mr Hamid Mir’s tape in which he allegedly misled and provoked the Taliban militants against his father, which resulted in his murder. In the tape, Hamid Mir is reported to have convinced the Taliban spokesman that Khalid Khawaja was a CIA agent and front man of Mansoor Ejaz — an associate of an international Ahmedi network. Furthermore, he said that Khawaja and his wife played an ignominious role during the Laal Masjid standoff. Hamid Mir is being criticised on several websites and blogs for what can be called an act of watanfaroshi or subversive behaviour and also for being instrumental in the murder of Khalid Khawaja. There are unconfirmed reports that the tape is genuine, but unless the tape is examined by forensic experts and declared authentic, one should not pass any judgements. If it transpires that the tape is genuine, Hamid Mir should be indicted for passing on sensitive information to the militants and incitement to the murder of Khalid Khawaja.

While there are patriotic elements in the print and electronic media in Pakistan who are aware of their national responsibilities, there are some that belong to a particular media group that has arrogated to itself the role of a kingmaker. Its reporting editors, anchorpersons and analysts are consistently spewing venom against the PPP government, perhaps to fulfil some personal agenda. Even in the rest of the media, mostly urban-centric anchorpersons and their ‘brilliant’ panellists remain preoccupied with provoking leaders of political parties against one another, and also pitting one institution of the state against the other. These anchors, analysts and panellists pose themselves as erudite and savant, and have the habit of influencing their guests’ opinion. Now even the public is disillusioned and many people have stopped watching talk shows.

It is unfortunate that some anchorpersons, reporting editors, and investigative reporters are conducting themselves as lobbyists, propagandists and embedded journalists. The term embedded journalist owes its origin to the Iraq war where journalists were attached with military units, but now it is being used for journalists doing someone’s bidding, whether army, government or interest groups. These media men seem to be wittingly or unwittingly serving those who do not wish to see Pakistan stable, as stability is the first step towards progress and prosperity. One does not know whose agenda they are working on, as the media’s leading lights often accuse the ‘establishment’ for all the woes of the country. And beyond any shadow of a doubt they mean the military. One could condemn military adventurers, who had abrogated the constitution, but the present military leadership does not deserve scathing criticism because of the steps the present chief of army staff (COAS) took vis-à-vis withdrawal of military personnel from the civil departments and concerted military action against terrorists.

It is unfortunate that some media men have abandoned the high standards of professionalism. One reporting editor of a big media group wrote in a recent report: “After the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), now apprehensions are also being expressed by the PML-N about some alleged conspiracy being hatched by certain elements belonging to the army and intelligence agencies.” He tried to convey an impression that the military leadership is calling the shots so far as the judiciary is concerned. He then went on with his insinuations of the army’s hand behind the unrest in Abbottabad and Hazara after the change in the NWFP’s name to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He cleverly implicated the PML-N by revealing ‘off the record’ remarks, which is tantamount to showing disregard to journalistic norms. He wrote: “After the recent bloody riots in Abbottabad and Hazara, another PML-N leader told this correspondent strictly off-the-record he believed that some intelligence agencies had played tricks to trigger violence in the area.” This is the subtle way to bring the army and its agencies into disrepute.

It is true that President Zardari has a spotted image because of certain cases against him. But leaders of other parties are no paragons of scruple and virtue. And there should be an even-handed and across the board accountability. The misguided elements in Pakistan should understand the gravity of the situation and shun perfidious self-righteousness, which can further exacerbate the crisis. It will not be an exaggeration to say that it is due to the elements at the top of the social pyramid, the educated class, pseudo-intellectuals, or intelligentsia, both Mandarins and Résistantes, who have not performed their rightful duty of providing adequate leads to the overwhelmingly illiterate and immensely religious hoi polloi. Though corruption, lawlessness and other social evils are the mountains beyond the reach of the scavenging process of the administrative hand of the state, yet a positive signal emanating from the broad section of the people is that they have started thinking about the flaws in the system, social inequities, inconsistencies and improbity that have permeated society. And in the words of Voltaire: “Once a nation begins to think, it is impossible to stop it.” Partisans, intellectuals and media men should get their act together to extricate the country from the morass it is in.

The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at mjamil1938@hotmail.com