Why the Cynical Fascism of Hassan Nisar Must Be Rejected
For too long, former comrade Hassan Nisar has been spewing a bit too much hate for democracy and for the intellect of the people of Pakistan and for far too long he has been tolerated. He has been tolerated because the general public perception is that he is an intellectual. Perhaps he is, but the idea he has been propagating for years now. You do not need to take my word for it. Go and watch hours after hours of footage on YouTube and Pakistani social media and you will have some idea about what we are saying.
Of course, the secular elements in the country take a lot of pleasure in his scathing commentary on the mullahs and the religious fundamentalists. They love how he destroys the religious clerics and their approach to secular education and science.
With such opinions, at least the secularists liked to listen to him because he was a secular man. However, his recent disappointing comments about religion card has put shadows of doubt over this idea as well. To add insult to injury, his decision to paint Imran Khan as a savior ended up in great embarrassment for himself due to the dismal performance of his administration, which he has admitted himself.
Recently, the PTI government has taken upon itself to defend former dictator General Pervez Musharraf in court for the proceedings against him in the treason or Article 6 charge. The General had abrogated the Constitution in 1999 in a bloodless coup to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which according to the Constitution itself is a treasonous act. In turn, Nawaz Sharif opened this case against him when he came to power.
The Report Card show from Geo TV Network which involved this subject had a discussion on democracy that quickly escalated into the following. Hassan Nisar, like always, was cynical about any hint of democracy in Pakistan.
As a student of politics and history I used to listen to hassan nisar sahab. But after seeing,his behaviour towards the authentic questions of @reema_omer "O bhai,o bhai" and " oh nahi nahi aty chorein". I've realised that even scholars/analyst can't take harsh questions. pic.twitter.com/HkuOZKBaVI
— Basit Javed (@basitjaved58) November 29, 2019
Anchors like Hassan Nisar and Irshad Bhatti should be banned on media. They pollute people's mind and misguide them by distorting history. @geonews_urdu https://t.co/8JjvPhb6af
— Asma (@AsmaZhk) November 25, 2019
The full show can be watched in the following video.
Hassan Nisar's basic thesis is that the Pakistani people must be educated first before they can be trusted with something such as democracy. While the cynic in us would tend to agree with him, it cannot be stressed enough how dangerous this line of argument is. It is a self-defeating statement more than anything else and has nothing to do with any solutions.
Hassan Nisar, just like all the defenders of the military establishment, he blames all of the current democratic and constitutional crises on the politicians. He considers any legal proceedings against former military dictators as needless and even refuses to recognize "sham" democratic institutions in Pakistan. To make matters worse for himself, he even defended Musharraf's controversial properties dismissing it as his private affair. However, he would refuse to apply the same principle to the Sharifs, who he has been bitterly opposing for decades.
This is not just one incident but the clip in this tweet is perhaps Hassan Nisar at his worst. He is not arguing but ranting. What is worse, he was being inexcusably and unnecessarily rude to other speakers on the show. Many on twitter were blaming it on him possibly being drunk at that time but those who have listened to him for years now are familiar that his moral constipation has a far longer history and it has nothing to do with a moment of weakness.
We have been following Hassan Nisar for a very long time and obviously, his rhetoric has some basis on logic. Only for that reason, he has gathered a fan following or viewers or readers over the years. But people, especially the youth should be wary of considering him an ideal for deriving their political thought.
For too long, Pakistanis have been fed the Caliph Syndrome thanks to a quote by Umer II or Umer I about a ruler being even responsible for a calf dying by the Euphrates river. Such cynicism has only harmed both democracy and public thought in Pakistan. People expect unrealistic miracles and solutions from political leadership, looking for a Caliph, and when they fail to meet those goals, they wait for a Messiah in the shape of a military general who would have a silver bullet solution for all their woes. Of course, the dictator never works for them either but at least they were happy about the sudden "appearance" of a charismatic leader out of nowhere without any voting. Perhaps, military dictators such as Zia and Musharraf are indeed sent by Allah. It is the same principle that is being applied to the binary regime of Imran Khan and General Bajwa.
Hassan Nisar is great for social media moments and gratification of the emotions of the political cynic in Pakistan, but in terms of substance and ideology, we should surely look elsewhere.
The caustic, cynical fascism of Hassan Nisar must be rejected.
Filed under: Commentary, Videos | Tagged: argument, Caliph Syndrome, class warfare, cynic, cynicism, Debate, democracy, education, fascism, Geo TV, Hassan Nisar, logic, Messiah Syndrome, military establishment, Pakistan, political leadership, politicians, rational, rationality, religion, Report Card, science, Secularism, theology |	Leave a comment »
The Pakistani Student Left is Rising Again
It is about time. They have been repressed for way too long. And this country cannot hide what embarrasses it anymore in the age of information. In a huge blow to the "fifth-generation warfare" effort of the DG ISPR, a completely wrong kind of group has been capturing all the limelight of late on social and alternate media like Naya Daur. The Progressive Students Collective.
We never thought we would see this day when the socialists in Pakistan will ever catch the public eye but the credit goes to the patient Progressive Students Federation. During the Faiz Festival, the "jacket girl" was seen chanting revolutionary anthems from the Independence Movement era and revolutionary socialist slogans.
sarfaroshi kī tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai
dekhna hai zor kitnā baazu-e-qatil mein hai #Lahore #faizfestival2019 pic.twitter.com/zGdL8uU11W
— Shiraz Hassan (@ShirazHassan) November 17, 2019
The jacket girl is now an icon.
So much love and respect for this generation of brave, energised and mobilised young Pakistanis #StudentSolidarityMarch
Feel free to remix and redistribute (only for students, please do not repurpose for commercial use) https://t.co/8AW68U3MKB pic.twitter.com/bKYibnpIid
— Reem Khurshid (@ReemKhurshid) November 19, 2019
Immediately, the students who were vocally challenging the establishment and patriarchal structure were bombarded with abuse on social media. Arooj was attacked for being too elitist to be raising revolutionary socialist slogans with people focusing on the leather jacket that she was wearing. Even though, the trained eye could see how elitist those students in the group were.
Interviews such as these on Naya Daur allowed Arooj Aurangzeb, the leather jacket girl, and her comrades to explain themselves as far as their privilege and class was concerned.
The demands of the students organizing the Solidarity March are pretty straight forward and uncomplicated. They want free education, the reversal of impossible fee hikes, increase in education budget, reversal in cuts, access to audited reports of universities, action against sexual harassment and intimidation by surveillance, and, most importantly, the restoration of student unions in academic institutions to enable the inclusion of students in policymaking that concerns them.
Conservative Pakistan has a severe aversion to student politics because it has been systematically dismantled by the bureaucratic establishment in the country. They introduced violence in it through the Jamaat-e-Islami until platforms such as the NSF were disintegrated and so was the concept of student unions. Student Unions became synonymous with violence and intimidation and middle-class conservatives started associating politics with the same evil. The Zia regime had banned student politics and earlier Ayub Khan was threatened by it too. The military dictators saw curbing student politics an effective way of crushing any possible dissent challenging their illegitimate government.
However, this new rise of the left student politics is heartening. Seeing bold and courageous young women such as Arooj Aurangzeb is heartening. This is a sign that the future may not be all dark and gloomy for Pakistan and that we are seeing an entity other than Islami Jamiat Talaba as a part of Student Politics. This is why the Student Solidarity March is being organized this Friday.
I urge all the progressives, center and center-left liberals as well as all pro-democracy conservatives and human rights advocates to join students on the Solidarity March on November 29 at 1400 HRS across the country.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: Arooj Aurangzeb, Ayub Khan, bureaucratic establishment, class warfare, conservative, deep state, elitism, elitist, Jacket Girl, Leather Jacket Girl, liberal, military establishment, NSF, Pakistan, politics, progressive, Progressive Students Collective, PRSF, socialist, Zia regime |	Leave a comment »
To Support Maulana's Azadi March or Not
Life throws some tough dilemmas your way. As if your everyday moral questions were not enough, history brought people to a crossroads which surely disturbed them in one way or the other. And sometimes the choices you make tell a lot about where you stand. Especially if they happen to be Pakistanis who are secular liberals and anti-establishment.
To support Maulana's Azadi March or not.
There are many secular leftists who have simply rejected the idea of a Maulana vehicle being an ideal platform for the promotion of democracy. The likes of the Awami Workers Party and Jibran Nasir, who are always proactive on social issues, chose not to support the march because of the religious card, bigotry against Ahmedis, and the exclusion of women from the platform, something which Marvi Sirmed also pointed out.
Looking at the "Azadi March" from afar, one thing is clear to me. In the democracy that Maulana sahib is fight for, women would have no place. Even if they manage to get there, women would be backstage or at a far & dark corner.
Ask yourselves dear democrats, do we want THIS?
— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) October 30, 2019
There has been a lot of confusion regarding supposed Left/liberal support for the Azadi March. Watch @Ziyad_F explain the two actual positions taken by the handful of progressives left in this country. (And don't let the title mis-lead you!) https://t.co/yLtZ3LlIZn
— Nida Kirmani (@nidkirm) October 25, 2019
I wish it were that simple. While I do hope the Azadi March weakens the grip of the establishment & their puppets, I am also conscious that the men leading this march have a very different definition of democracy than I do. Empowering them could harm us later on.
Most of the pro-establishment and/or pro-status quo or pro-Imran Khan liberals completely reject the notion of the Azadi March because it is being led by a religious party or because of the "religious card." The religious card here particularly being focus on preserving the finality of Prophethood or Khatm-e-Nabuwat, a fancy name of the anti-Ahmedi movement in Pakistan, and against attempts to amend the blasphemy law. Many of these critics agree that anti-establishment liberals are compromising their principles by cheering for Maulana's march.
Everyone subscribes to their own version of the doctrine of necessity, be they from left or right, progressive or conservative. Only very few recognise that, and fewer yet admit to it.
— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) October 16, 2019
'This march is against those who released asia bibi and wajih ul hasan and those who oppose khatm e nabuwat' jui f maulana aziz ahmed ashrafi on @ZaraHatKay_Dawn right now
Other anti-establishment center-left and right liberals, especially those sympathetic to the current cause of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and the emerging anti-establishment leadership of Maryam Nawaz, are not playing so safe. They are fully behind the march and even taking jabs at those sitting out citing the religious card, including the pro-establishment liberals who are subtly supporting the Imran Khan administration.
Liberals are conflicted and divided over supporting, conditionally supporting or condemning the Azadi March. But it's a bit rich for a party that allied with the JI in KP and funded the more extreme Samiul Haq to judge others for 'supporting religious extremists and bigots'
— Talat Aslam (@titojourno) October 31, 2019
"لاہور استقبالی کیمپ کی حالت دیکھی؟ ایک لیڈر نہیں وہاں اور 40 بندے"
لعنت آپ پہ ۔لعنت ۔ لعنت ۔لعنت
— Gul Bukhari (@GulBukhari) October 29, 2019
The politically incorrect Gul Bukhari is, of course, all for the march and disappointment at the PML-N for their half-hearted support.
سوال: تو پی ٹی ایم خود کو اس دھرنے اور مارچ سے الگ رکھے گی؟
علی وزیر: بالکل۔ ہمارا فیصلہ ہوا ہے کہ ہم ایسے نظام کا کبھی ساتھ نہیں دیں گے جو ایک متروک نظام ہو۔
😏🤷🏻‍♀️
(اور یوں آج پاکستانی میڈیا میں #PTM کا نام لینا اور اس کے رکن قومی اسمبلی کا مؤقف سنوانا جائز ٹھہرا 🤓)#AzadiMarch https://t.co/Au0rfPuSz1 pic.twitter.com/lDiHBFZYjq
— افشاں مصعب (@AfshanMasab) October 30, 2019
The PTM has distanced itself from the march citing its impact of perpetuating an "obsolete system of government," albeit supporting their right to protest. PML-N and PPP, meanwhile, are partially participating and avoiding the march for some mysterious reasons only known to them.
Talked to participants.
PML-N welcomed the march in Lahore but didn't join the march. So far only PkMAP & ANP seem to have actively joined the march.
PPP & PML-N aren't sincerely on board but have maintained nominal presence just to claim credit in case the march succeedes. https://t.co/CPsH9MvBRE
— R Kakar (@rafiullahkakar) October 30, 2019
Conspicuous by its absence is the PMLN leadership
ارے بھائی ہسپتال اور جیل میں آپ کے لیڈروں کے ساتھ ظلم ہورہا ہے یا مولانا کے؟ #Azadi_March_Updates
— Mohammad Taqi (@mazdaki) October 30, 2019
Many anti-establishment seculars tend to agree but acknowledge at the back of their minds that some kind of resistance needs to be offered to the current government.
We request PTM leadership & comrade to join Azdi March in the interest of Pakistan. Its a public demand as many other look confused. https://t.co/QEKndo0UOB
— Lal (@lalaquar) October 31, 2019
There have been no shortages of false comparisons with the Khomeini-led revolution in Iran to discredit the march and even dismissals mentioning that it is no Hong Kong or Beirut protest. Indeed this march is neither. But surely, it has been facing a media blackout which has become the characteristic of the Bajwa-Imran regime. These visuals were nowhere to be seen on national TV.
عمرانی دھرنے کو صبح سے شام اور شام سے صبح تک کورج دینے والا میڈیا آزادی مارچ کا ٹھاٹھیں مارتا ہوا عوامی سمندر نظر نہیں آرہا ؟ pic.twitter.com/YOqEFY2AAt
— Mian Iftikhar Husain (@MianIftikharHus) October 30, 2019
آزادی مارچ کارواں ۔ ۔ ۔#عوامی_سمندر_اسلام_آباد_کی_طرف pic.twitter.com/MBVLNrqk4T
— Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman (@MoulanaOfficial) October 28, 2019
یہ صرف ضلع پشاور کا جلوس ہے جو ابھی تک رشکئی انٹرچینج تک پہنچ چکا ہے،رشکئی انٹرچینج میں اب دیگر اضلاع کے قافلے مرکزی جلوس کے ساتھ شامل ہوتے ہوئے ملی مشر اسفندیار ولی خان کی قیادت میں اسلام آباد کا رخ کرینگے#استعفی_تمھارا_باپ_بھی_دیگا pic.twitter.com/0UEIvcMWvP
— Awami National Party (@ANPMarkaz) October 31, 2019
As of today, the Awami National Party, which is as secular a party as they come in Pakistan, Another secular nationalist party Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) of Mehmood Khan Achakzai had joined the march right from the start in Karachi on October 27.
Pkmap of Mahmood Achakzai has been the 2nd largest party of march ❤️
Proud to be worker of a party that has always shown resistance against non democratic forces #ChalloAzadiMarchKeSath pic.twitter.com/bABeiatNeO
— Muzamil Shah (@watanyar07) October 30, 2019
The Maulana's caravans might enter Islamabad any hour now and the procession which was supposed to happen today has been delayed until Friday afternoon prayers, partially because of the Rahimyar Khan train tragedy.
It is clear that Maulana's party does not see this march as a mission to enforce Sharia in the country, as much as some people trying to make it sound like that. It is indeed not directed against the military but it does channel some of the frustration of the public against the Imran Khan administration, if not against the Bajwa-Imran regime. It may occasionally mention the selectors but it is surely not against them.
So are you supporting the March too? I am not "supporting" a Mulllah's party either but I sure as well don't mind it is happening. And pretty much agree with all its objectives other than "protecting the Islamic provisions of the constitution." If the capital can be paralyzed for the good part of the year for discrediting a legitimately elected government and for rigging allegations for four constituencies, it can surely be shut down for locking up the entire opposition and almost killing a three-times elected Prime Minister. And the latter is my biggest reason to march against the current administration.
The only problem is that the agenda of this march barely mentions that.
Filed under: Commentary, Videos | Tagged: ANP, anti-establishment, authoritarianism, Azadi March, Bajwa-Imran regime, blasphemy, centrism, centrist, conservative, democracy, government, Imran Khan, Islamabad, Islamic Republic, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam, JUI (F), liberal, march, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, military establishment, Nawaz Sharif, opposition, Pakistan, PKMAP, PML-N, politics, PPP, pro-establishment, protest, PTI, religion, religion card, secular, Secularism, Sharia, support, theocratic, tweets |	Leave a comment »
The Televised Slow Killing of Another National Leader
Source: samaa,tv
Pakistan has a history of getting rid of its democratically elected leaders in a manner that is both torturous to them and to their supporters. From Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Akbar Bugti and from Murtaza Bhutto to Benazir Bhutto, there is a long history of the Pakistani deep state establishment influencing the demise of popular leaders. These days, another national leader is being killed slowly and his demise is being televised all across the nation. The only three times Prime Minister in the history of the country, Mian Nawaz Sharif.
The government has been resorting to the petty measures of denying the former Prime Minister proper medical care for several weeks, as promised in Imran Khan's speech in a Washington D. C. rally, until his situation brought him on the verge of death. He was denied bail repeatedly despite recommendations from his doctors. A patient of heart disease, his level of blood platelets fell to a critical level. Even his kidneys are said to be affected of late and he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Foul play is not being dismissed as an explanation for his condition.
On the other hand, President Asif Ali Zardari is also being held despite his worsening condition in terms of his cardiac health. His family is being prevented to see him. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is being held on frivolous allegations by NAB and was kept with the death row prisoners. The controversial and corrupt National Accountability Bureau, which was perhaps established to target political victims, remains to be the central body behind the inhuman treatment of national leaders who have not abrogated the constitution or committed treason, unlike their leniency for the former dictator Pervez Musharraf.
Meanwhile, the silence of his supporters and the people of Punjab for a man who has done so much in their service has been deafeningly loud. What is perhaps even worse is the attitude of his brother and current Opposition Leader and former Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the party leaders in his camp who remain silent on his dismal condition. These leaders, which include Former Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Former Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, are still rooting for making up with the military and finding a way back into the cozy corridors of power that the Punjab politicians are so used to.
So leaders such as Ahsan Iqbal can bother to hold Kashmir Rallies to please the national security establishment but they will not take it to the streets for the health and safety of his leader. All he could ask for was prayers for his leader on the deathbed, with passively outraging about the brutal measures of the current administration. The PML-N loyalists should never forget how these leaders have behaved in these circumstances when Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif are being incarcerated for political reasons.
"کشمیر بنے گا پاکستان" کا نعرہ ملک کے طول و عرض میں گونج گیا۔ PMLN کے کارکنان نے پورے ملک میں پرجوش ریلیاں نکالیں pic.twitter.com/zfLnpjzt6R
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) October 27, 2019
But more than anything, it is the callousness and the indifference of the people of Punjab which hurts the most. They have betrayed yet another political leader who stood up for democracy and civilian supremacy in Pakistan. You would expect that there would be streets erupting with protestors in solidarity with Nawaz Sharif, angry at the kind of abuse he is being subjected to in the prison by the Punjab government.
Had Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman not announced his "Azadi March" against the government, the agenda of which does not even mention the political arrests of the opposition leadership, there would be no protests against the current government. The secular opposition is disappointing who would not even come out on the streets with their leadership on the verge of death and for ceding space to Islamist parties such as the JUI-F.
Nawaz Sharif's situation has become stable since the scare on October 22 but he is still on his deathbed. Maryam had said much earlier that the government will be responsible if anything happened to Nawaz Sharif. But she can add her uncle's name and her party leadership to the list of his killers.
The courts finally granted him temporary bail as a desperate measure. His daughter Maryam is still being prevented to see him. And people like Firdaus Ashiq Awan are still making fun of someone struggling for his life.
This is the price of public service in Pakistan.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: authoritarianism, Azadi March, civil rights, civilian supremacy, democracy, General Pervez Musharraf, government, Imran Khan, JUI (F), killing, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, military establishment, murder, NAB, National Accountability Bureau, Nawaz Sharif, opposition, PML-N, PPP, Prime Minister, PTI |	Leave a comment »
Khalid Hussain: Another Casualty for Pakistan's Freedom of Press
Source: Khalid Hussain/The Nation
Pakistan is probably seeing perhaps the worst year in press freedom under the Bajwa-Imran regime in an age in which communications are supposed to advance.
The Nation, one of the traditionally conservative English language newspapers, which had taken a turn for a more liberal narrative in recent years, fired its political cartoonist about a week ago or so. Muhammad Khalid had drawn a satirical cartoon highlighting the toothlessness of Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose megalomania has created an illusion of his person becoming an important statesman capable of resolving long-time international disputes.
The context of this caricature is President Trump offering to mediate between Pakistan and India to help resolve the Kashmir issue.
The cartoon and the apology. pic.twitter.com/ufd9qAhaoc
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) September 26, 2019
Here is what The Nation Apology reads:
We would like to apologize deeply for a cartoon that appeared on our pages. The artwork fell short of our editorial standards and does not reflect our editorial policy. It should never have appeared.
We are proud to be a nationalistic paper and we regret sincerely the attention taken by an artwork that was inappropriate, especially at the time of the UN General Assembly session taking place in New York.
The necessary steps have been taken to ensure our internal procedures. And once again, we humbly extend our sincere apologies and regret.
This dismissal may sound like the prerogative of the editor of the publication, who paradoxically had published it, but this is becoming all too common in the self-censoring media in Pakistan. The Nation, an about-to-collapse publication which has been heavily infiltrated with the sympathizers and representatives of the military establishment, could obviously not bear to support such expression on its pages.
The curbs on media freedom in Pakistan have taken a turn for the worse under the Imran-Bajwa regime and several international observers, including Reporters Sans Frontiers, have critiicized the administaration for falsely denying it. Recently, Dawn's iconic magazine The Herald also closed its operations and several other printing publications are under the threat of vanishing in the country.
Speaking to Gandhara, Khalid Hussain said, "I don't know how long they will not be printing my cartoons or whether they will ever print my cartoons [again]." He further clarified what he wanted to convey in the cartoon. "I didn't aim to hit Imran Khan personally. But as the prime minister of the country, he symbolically represents the country he rules," he said. "What I felt was that Trump has repeatedly assured Pakistan to mediate between India and Pakistan. But he later said that Modi has not agreed to [his mediation]."
Khalid may still try making his political caricatures independently but can never be sure how he is going to pay his bills. This concern has become the biggest moral compass for many professionals in the journalism industry in Pakistan, which increasingly deprives them of fair and timely wages (if they are paid at all) and editorial protection.
This is yet another casualty for freedom of the press in perhaps one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. But then again, the truth being a casualty in Pakistan is just another day in the war-like theocratic Sultanate.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: caricature, cartoonist, conservative, democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of press, freedom of speech, human rights, Imran Khan, Journalism, journalism industry, Khalid Hussain, liberal, military establishment, nationalism, Pakistan, The Nation, wages |	Leave a comment »
The New Censorship Regime in Pakistan
Posted on July 21, 2019 by Haroon Riaz
Source: Pakistan Today
After ten years of relative democracy in the country after General Pervez Musharraf's resignation from 2008 to the last election in 2018, the country enjoyed an oasis of the explosion of free expression. Again that free expression is an expression to be used in relevant terms. Either way, Pakistan has not seen such flourishing of journalism in its history until the new censorship regime was introduced by the military and bureaucratic establishment.
With the assumption of office of the current military establishment and their subsequent "selection" of the PTI administration under Imran Khan, the censorship of the media has never been escalated to such a degree. Other than the organized harassment campaigns against journalists, the twitter handles of three journalists were forcibly deactivated temporarily by the state agents. Sadly, there is ample data on the web for anybody who wants to write a paper on it.
Journalist Hamid Mir recently held a press conference in which he sounded like a political activist campaigning for rights instead of a reporter. Well, things have gone this bad for journalists in the country and probably more than ever before.
Only a few days back, the ruling political party removed all doubts whatsoever as far as its support of the crackdown on journalists is concerned. Many journalists can barely believe that a party that owes so much of its current support to the media.
Journalists will observe July 16th as black day in Pakistan protest rallies in front of press clubs of Bahawalpur 10:30 am Rahim Yar Khan 11 am Islamabad 12 pm Hayderabad 12 pm Sukhar 2 pm Peshawar 2 pm Karachi 3 pm Quetta 4 pm Multan 4 pm Lahore Press Club 5 pm pic.twitter.com/BVQIl39BR5
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) July 15, 2019
Pakistani state agenda's true representative political party PTI went out of its way to launch a disgusting campaign against press freedom. What they pretty much mean is that if a journalist is not following state propaganda, they are committing treason. Some of the tweets even directly implied that as reported by Dawn.
Media houses & journalists must take care that in their quest for criticism on State, they intentionally or unintentionally do not end up propagating enemy's stance. Freedom of expression is immense power. And with great power there is great responsibility!#JournalismNotAgenda pic.twitter.com/YdxD9Al5Pb
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 16, 2019
Media is often considered a pillar of state. It is sad to see certain media factions & seasoned journalists who also scrutinize Prime Minister Khan's personal life in the name of freedom of media later accuse the State for curtailing media freedom. #JournalismNotAgenda pic.twitter.com/fHCzqaQJae
The part time journalists and full time propagandist and social media activists are getting desperate to pay off their master's favours showered to them in past but it must not come at the cost of the future of this country. #JournalismNotAgenda pic.twitter.com/s78xSk3D84
The powerful DG ISPR also routinely lectures journalists about what they should report on.
News story published by BBC on 2nd June 2019, titled "Uncovering Pakistan's Secret Human Rights Abuses" is pack of lies and in violation of journalistic ethos.
The issue is being formally taken up with BBC authorities. pic.twitter.com/A3QtbXJIkS
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) June 3, 2019
Converse is rather more true. A segment of society exposed to intl narrative, has such a buy in of that narrative that any news agnst mil, no matter how incredible & fictitious, wd be uncritically accepted. Don't know what's more alarming, ability of masses or inability of elite? https://t.co/KprrJXtq1r
— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) June 2, 2019
Not an unexpected 'piece'.
The expressed 'learning' of details & 'assumptions' about subject of leaks / country involved are vested & understandable. Unearthing the attempt & disposal add to credibility of our systems.
Actually 'worrisome' for 'few' is 'disposal' of such cases. https://t.co/crmWW2WXTq
The ruling party PTI, which rose to power as a result of constant media coverage when it was in the opposition, has routinely blocked coverage to the opposition. Particularly Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a new leader on the rise, protesting with the aim to free her father former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified and jailed following two controversial judgments. Media outlets such as Geo Network have been repeatedly blocked in local cable following the coverage of her rallies. Earlier interviews of President Asif Zardari and Maryam Nawaz Sharif were blocked from the media but the latter was not even mentioned in the mainstream electronic media, which the military and bureaucratic establishment, along with the PTI considers the actual source of public information.
To many journalists, the kind of censorship practiced under the PTI regime even surpasses the standards set by the draconian Zia regime. However, the difference is that this 21st-century censorship continues despite the presence of social media on the parallel. Considering how dissent is considered "treason" by the patriotic lot in Pakistan, wonder when we will see a blanket ban on social media. We know our government has tried that before in the previous administration. The day people finally decide to come out on the streets against this draconian government, that day is not far off either.
Pakistan can become Sudan any day.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: censorship, Dawn, democracy, DG ISPR, free media, freedom of expression, freedom of press, Hamid Mir, human rights, Journalism, journalists, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, media censorship, military establishment, News, Pakistan, politics, President Asif Zardari, PTI |	Leave a comment »
Antics of a Reckless Regime
Source: Aljazeera
With freedom and authority, comes responsibility. It is one of the quotes our state bureaucracy likes to parrot whenever there is a mention of civil liberties. You can only wish that they applied the same principle to themselves when it comes to their
The policies of our bureaucratic overlords governing the Pakistani state have attracted criticism from all over the world in terms of their commitment to world peace and support for terrorism. Their policy record is also pretty terrible in terms of military interference in India and Afghanistan. But just when they complain about catching too much flak from the public and want us to cut them some slack, they do something so outrageously inappropriate that it reminds you of their character.
Pakistan made sure that it tested its nuclear ballistic missile Shaheen on the occasion of election results in India. Our DG ISPR proudly flaunted the test on the social media reminding the world of its huge range. The test was critical to establish "deterrence stability" in the region. It was absolutely needed. But more than anything, it offers a glimpse into the demented minds of Pakistan's ruling military establishment elite.
Successful training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Shaheen-II conducted. Capable of carrying both conventional & nuclear warheads upto a range of 1500 KMs. Shaheen-II fully meets Pak's strat needs towards maintenance of desired deterrence stability in the region. pic.twitter.com/I9t468wxnq
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) May 23, 2019
Unapologetically shameful pro-establishment journalists like Wajahat S. Khan also rose to the occasion and declared the nuclear test an appropriate message. This was really needed to translate the cryptic message the Pakistani military was trying to send randomly to the Indian government. He did not forget to mention an Indian city that fell under the range of the Pakistani missile to make sure that no doubt is left in terms of delivering the message home.
The day the #IndianElections2019 results are tallied & @narendramodi set to return, Pakistan tests Shaheen-II, a ballistic missile capable of carrying both conventional & nuclear warheads upto a range of 1500 km.
That's how far Lucknow is from Karachi.
That's a message. pic.twitter.com/Q5iu4XpJ0l
— WSK (@WajSKhan) May 23, 2019
With the United Nations reporting that the threat of nuclear war is greater than ever since World War II, such steps are really the most responsible line of action. I am pretty sure our strategic depth nationalists will have an appropriate rationale handy. But what this really ends up showing is that Pakistan is a desperate and frightened state that is happy to pull the trigger or push the button when threatened. That it is sort of a more open, more liberal North Korea.
Of course, the once-revolutionary and now-puppet Prime Minister Imran Khan had nothing to say about it. He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his massive landslide victory in the elections and Pakistan continues to play good cop-bad cop with the Indian state with its civilian and military entities.
Lasting peace with India will never be possible it seems with the warmongering military regime in charge in Pakistan.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: awards, Foreign Policy, Gen. Asif Ghafoor, India, military establishment, missile test, Narendra Modi, nationalism, nationalists, nuclear war, Pakistan, Pakistan Army, Peace, politics, Shaheen, stability, United Nations, Wajahat S. Khan, war |	Leave a comment »