As it was not enough for the first time, the Prime Minister’s Office felt the urge to refute a story for the second time only to refresh its contents that have nothing to do with national security as everything in the report is already common knowledge. There was also news of a ‘special meeting’ of the top civilian and military leadership to discuss the story, a story that both repudiated as ‘fabricated’. The real matter that needs attention of the quarters concerned is that it was not a ‘stunning disclosure’ that was been made public by Dawn. Rather, everybody is already aware about the presence of certain extremist elements in the country that need to be tackled with an iron hand. The ‘scoop’ in Dawn has only reiterated the importance of a matter that has already been aired or printed by local or international media. There was nothing wrong in the story disclosing the authorities’ discussion on how to deal with certain elements in society. The report has highlighted only the strategy of the authorities that they would go after all militant groups that are roaming freely in the country under the pretext of charity work. Even the world is calling upon Pakistan to take action against all militants without any discrimination and if Islamabad is sincere, it should not make a mountain out of a molehill by repeatedly criticising the story.
So far, the civilian administration and army establishment have played a commendable role to ensure elimination of terrorists who are posing a threat to country’s stability. However, those who have some sort of sympathy for these monsters should also be brought to book. It is better for all to understand that terrorism is not good for anyone. It may give some temporary advantage against the enemy but in long run, it will create more problems for all. Pakistan needs to take these steps for its own sake and to ensure that nobody raises finger at its sincerity. India also needs to acknowledge that a problem exists in Kashmir. The people there deserve to live freely and with respect. When the entire world does not care to listen to Pakistan and when all of its neighbours are speaking in one voice, Pakistan government should acknowledge the severity of the problem. This situation is very serious. How long can Pakistani authorities live in denial? There are no good or bad terrorists, only ‘terrorists’. Today they are with you; tomorrow they will be against you. It is time to realise that the sooner Pakistan gets rid of this plague causing havoc in the country, the better it would be. The treatment being meted out to Dawn, which is considered the most credible newspaper in Pakistan and its Assistant Editor Cyril Almeida, is uncalled for and lacks reasoning. In a state where a large number of corrupt persons and known militants are roaming freely, government is putting one of Pakistan’s most well-known and respected journalists on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The authenticity of a story is not the issue here; the hullaballoo about Dawn and Almeida is a stark reiteration of intolerance for any point of view that is in contradiction to the self-made playbook of do’s and don’ts of Pakistan’s establishment, and at times, that of civilian governments. Printing of a report that may have gained little traction, locally or internationally, without such an over-the-top reaction from civilian and military quarters is not the real issue here. It is the efforts that have put been forth in repudiation of its validity and demonisation of a newspaper that was started by Mohammad Ali Jinnah that have put a big question mark on freedom of media in Pakistan, and the sincerity of joint civilian-military efforts to eliminate terrorism in all its forms, sans any compartmentalisation. Placing a journalist on the ECL for simply doing his job is a reflection of the shrinking space for an honest debate on issues that may be uncomfortable for those who delineate domestic and foreign policies of Pakistan. And that is what acts as a tarnishing agent for Pakistan’s already fragile position in the comity of nations regionally and internationally, not a Dawn report on a meeting on ‘sensitive’ matters related to national security. It is time for honest introspection: what has harmed Pakistan more? The Dawn report or the civilian-military reaction to the Dawn report? *
http://dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/12-Oct-16/the-dawn-debacle
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