When on Tuesday’s hearing outside the Supreme Court, news reporter Matiullah Jan asked outgoing Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry a question about corruption allegations against a friend of the Prime Minister’s wife, his response was to call Mr Jan a ‘hired phony’ and said he knew where he received money from. This caused a rumpus, with other journalists demanding an apology, and a combative Mr Chaudhry that he had nothing to apologize for.
The rights or wrongs should obscure the essence of the occurrence. A question was put, perhaps a harsh question, but one which deserved an answer. Instead of answering it, Mr Chaudhry responded with charges of corruption against the journalist. That reflected how the PTI has dealt with the media, print, electronic or online, during its tenure: those who are with it are to be rewarded with the accolade of ‘proper journalism’, while those who ask questions are to be handled roughly, and with abuse. It was under the PTI that Mr Jan found himself lifted in Islamabad, which was hardly the only incident of press persecution during the PTI’s tenure. Mr Chaudhry seems to think that the same tactics are fit for dealing with the press, despite the changed circumstances.
If the government finds itself in the opposition after the no-confidence motion, it will find it will have to revive its memories of the past, when it depended on that very same media to pass on its message. It should not forget that its leader Imran Khan’s speeches were covered extensively by the media during the 2014 dharna in Islamabad. The PTI might console itself that it would hardly be the first party to discover that it depends on the media to get its message across, and the media does so even though the government (itself having once been in opposition) breathes down its neck. The PTI must realize that times have changed, and it should be ready to see that the media that had until today supported it, might now suddenly discover its evils.
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