Everyone in Pakistani is joining the course which the US-led world media has adopted. True that Osama’s killing seems to be a drama and raises many eyebrows as nobody can satisfactorily answer questions being raised, but keeping all this aside, what should be the responsibility of our media in the best national interest? One of the leading English dailies while endorsing CIA chief Panetta’s point questioned the vulnerability of the security of our nuclear assets and cast aspersions on our capability and capacity to defend the nuclear arsenal. Isn’t it tantamount to spreading despondency, without realising its repercussions and without informing the general public that technically it is not possible to remain not informed, not alerted or unmoved if a communication blackout occurs within the security apparatus of a country.
If one examines merits and demerits of telling or not telling the whole truth, being quiet is the better option. Obama and Hillary have already mentioned the intelligence sharing of Pakistan helped them kill Osama bin Laden. But should Pakistan publicly own it, while there is more threat of reprisals is involved for Pakistan, not America. Besides, if it is scripted and then executed by Americans themselves, won’t they use the “confession” by Islamabad to turn Al-Qaeda guns on Pakistan?
Osama was known as terrorist. Pakistan has helped the US arrest hundreds of Al-Qaeda men and ISI helped CIA in a number of operations from Tora Bora to Bali, Indonesia. The media is not highlighting that intelligence failures have occurred across the world and the failure in Abbottabad is not a new thing which is used to malign the entire institution of army, to ignore sacrifices of thousands of army troops and civilians since 2004.
MARYA MUFTI
Lahore
