A little ‘disconnect’
PEMRA’s directive to ban media coverage of JuD, FIF, etc, along with LeT is indicative, definitely, of movement against these organisations at a higher level. PEMRA’s announcement, too, was clear enough in this regard. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, under National Action Plan (NAP), have banned all kind of coverage of banned JuD and FIF under UN Resolution 1267”, read its circular issued Monday. Yet the initiative was not without its fair bit of confusion. The interior minister, for example, was quick to ‘clarify’ that his ministry had not passed any instructions regarding JuD to PEMRA.
Why the obvious disconnect? Islamabad’s position on JuD has been ambiguous for much of the world with good reason. Following the ’01 attack on the Indian parliament, the government of Pakistan banned LeT in early ’02. Then there was more confusion about whether it accepted JuD as simply LeT under another name. Later, under US and UN pressure, it put JuD and FIF on its watch-list in ’08 and ’12 respectively. Now, suddenly, PEMRA’s official notification refers to it as “banned JuD”. That would not be possible, of course, without a very clear line from the security establishment, of which the interior ministry is naturally considered an integral part.
But there’s more. PEMRA’s exercise seems rushed through and half-prepared. Its latest list of banned organisations, for example, does not include Da’ish, which means it must have been published without being updated. Also, is the electronic media the right platform to begin changing the equation with regard to these organisations? Shouldn’t the government move more visibly against banned outfits accused of aiding, abetting, carrying out, and funding terrorism? Shouldn’t the legal machinery now take its course to investigate the credibility of such charges, and recommend course accordingly? There’s been much to write home about since Zarb-e-Azb took off. Hopefully the government will remain ahead of the curve as it transforms into a more intel-intensive phase in urban centres. But that will not be possible if key ministers and ministries are groping in the dark as an existential war plays out.
