How far does freedom of speech extend is an issue which has been debated endlessly throughout human history. Philosophers and social commentators have postulated various plausible explanations for this loaded question. However, most people would concede that freedom of speech does not mean freedom from being responsible for ones actions.
For the people of Pakistan, freedom of expression and speech is a tricky and hazy concept. In a country with a political history chequered with military regimes and dictatorship, entailing media blackouts and suspension of fundamental rights among other things, the concept of fundamental rights and freedom does become a bit skewed.
For starters, a minister of a democratically elected civilian government can threaten to censor cellular text-based messages and punish the authors of ill motivated and concocted stories through e-mails and text messages against the civilian leadership, in a bid to stop people from expressing their disappointment with the government. The media and political parties may cry foul and table the announcement as an infringement on the nations right to express their views over the performance of the government and institutions.
Interestingly enough the idea of having personal communication being scrutinised by the government has invoked little reaction from the general public. Pakistani mobile phone users all too well aware of how to thumb down political, social, cultural stunts by forwarding political joke, images and local news to all contacts, thus exercising their freedom of expression. Battling insufferable power breakdowns, water shortage, inflation and a myriad of socio-economic problems, most cellular subscribers either remain blissfully ignorant of the ministers decree or choose to dismiss the threat of spending 14 years in the slammer for indulging in their newfound politically cathartic pastime of forwarding political jokes and satire aimed at the establishment via cellular text based messages.
Sadly, the reasons fuelling the publics frustration with the government and the consequent exchange and circulation of texts, criticising those at the helm of the countrys affairs, continue to be largely ignored.
IFRAH JAVAID
Lahore
