It has been observed that the armed forces of the country are being dragged into controversies with regard to Balochistan and other issues. A veteran journalist, who singly appears in a popular talk show, speculated that army operation in the province was still going on while the fact is that since 2008 not a single operation had been conducted by the army. A lady anchor who took on line Harbiyar Mari in her TV program, the Baloch leader not only declared war against Islamabad, but also pronounced secession from Pakistan. Nobody raised a question as to how the lady anchor invited a man who does not recognise the state of Pakistan, nor was taken the point of view of any federation official who could give a knockout to Harbiyar. Thus the TV channel seems guilty of projecting the anti-state agenda, supporting anti-state ideology of the separatists, a punishable crime under the law of the country. Advocating the separatist viewpoint and justifying their anti-state activity is a serious offence.
Without any proof they are giving verdicts against the army which is a subservient institute of the state – by pronouncing army and intelligence agencies guilty of carrying out a nefarious agenda of picking, torturing and killing anyone who challenges their hegemony, they are drawing their own vested conclusions. TV channels that support such anti-state ideas should understand that airing anti-state ideology is treason and liable under the treason act. Partially banned from the national networking, the certain media group is known for its penchant for concocting and fabricating stories such as that of the second marriage of the president of Pakistan only last month. Meanwhile, shaping and manipulating public ideology through the use of media cannot be termed as ‘freedom of expression’ rather it is ‘going stark out of control’ losing all perception of national and public interest, ethics and code of conduct.
MARYA MUFTI
Lahore
