Nazia Nazar
The editor of weekly The Friday Times (3-9 May 2019) in editorial captioned ‘Time is not up’ crudely commented on press briefing by DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, and tried to prove that everything went wrong due to decisions of Pakistan government and its institutions. Unfortunately, pseudo-intellectuals and commentriat pass anti-state remarks taking advantage of the provision about freedom of speech in the Constitution.
He wrote: “In a wide ranging and far reaching “briefing”, Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor, DG-ISPR, has laid down the grundnorm ( a German word meaning basic norm) of state realism. But consider. He says there is no organized terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. True, the military has knocked out Al Qaeda/ Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and degraded the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. But a question mark still hangs over the fate of our “freedom fighter” jihadi organisations which are deemed to be “terrorist” by the international community”. And he means Kashmiri freedom fighter organizations.
Everybody knows that according to Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan freedom of expression is not absolute. It states: “Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, commission of or incitement to an offence.”
In addition to provisions in the Constitution, there are certain sacrosanct limits that have to be exercised in the civil polities; and universally accepted norms and standards have to be adhered to in all conditions. But all those niceties are thrown out of the window by a few writers and analysts.
Referring to DG ISPR, the editor wrote: “He says that “radicalization” took root in Pakistan due to the Afghan jihad. True, but we were more than willing partners in that project. He says that terrorism came to Pakistan after the international community intervened in Afghanistan. True, but we provided safe haven to the Taliban for nearly twenty years and allowed them to germinate in our womb. He says it was decided last January to “mainstream” proscribed organisations.
True, but what took us so long to tackle a troubling problem for twenty years when we were not busy in “kinetic operations”?
One cannot even imagine that a Pakistani can stoop so low to blame Pakistan and insinuate military for every problem Pakistan is facing today, and put forward arguments that India and enemies of Pakistan are presenting to keep Pakistan on the grey list in FATF.
The editor went on to state: “Maj-Gen Ghafoor’s briefing on the PTM that has generated the most controversy. He says the military has responded positively to its demand to de-mine FATA and reduce check posts but is constrained by lack of civil administration in the area and resurfacing of terrorists from across the border. He has accused PTM of receiving funds from hostile international agencies. Major General Ghafoor has threatened: “Time is up”. Presumably, the military wants to detain and charge some PTM leaders as “traitors”. It will only serve to swell the PTM ranks. It may even precipitate in armed resistance, given the propensity of foreign international agencies to fish in troubled waters”.
The leader writer referred to the questions Major General Asif Ghafoor put to the PTM, but he became advocate of the PTM, and threatened that PTM may start armed struggle.
Some media groups promote negative themes which our enemies keep on coining, especially Indian intelligence agencies.
The target of these themes is none other but the Armed Forces of Pakistan, ISI and lately the judiciary. Sadly, few elements of the political forces are following a similar narrative that favours our adversaries. Indians have always been very active in nurturing and trapping individual journalists as well as the media organizations in Pakistan as part of their non-Kinetic war against Pakistan.
A few groups fell prey to the scheme of our adversary long ago and are harping to the tune of RAW and fulfilling their agenda regrettably. The question is whether a media group should be allowed to distort the facts and confuse the people through their venomous propaganda, or be permitted to defame institutions of Pakistan? Of course, not; and nobody in his right sense would condone their vile acts.
