Alberto Gonzales said that “I respect very much the role of the media in our society; I think they can be very, very helpful. They serve as a very useful check, sort of a watchdog over the actions of the government, and I respect that.”
It is appreciable to see that the Pakistani media is playing a responsible role by unveiling those who are not performing their duties responsibly. But it is very unfortunate to see, that our government instead of asking the irresponsible to show cause, are punishing the ones who are highlighting these issues of our society. A recent example can be seen where a journalist was sent behind the bars because he highlighted the insufficient security arrangements made at the Sindh Assembly. The ideal action with respect to this incident would have been in the form of improved security measures.
Government has spent a huge amount of money on the security of different institutions. Security measures at Sindh Assembly are just one example. If we look around, at different public places etc. we see that although the security gadgets are available, the guards are not alert, they don’t check everyone, they indulge in informal conversations with people etc. But yes, once a bomb blast takes place anywhere, security gets tightened everywhere.
To improve the security situation of our country, we first need to bring change in our attitudes. At different security checks, the public is asked to cooperate by saying “Let us do our duty. It is for your own safety”. But who will ensure whether these people are honest with their job or not when the ones who try to highlight the truth are sent to jail?
Varsha Arora
Rawalpindi