Government cannot remain aloof

After days of street demonstrations and issuance of fatwas (religious edicts) by various religious leaders and provocative talk shows hosted by some sections of the media against a rival for airing highly objectionable content involving religious figures, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a press release calling for de-escalation of the situation to protect media freedom and reduce risks for journalists.
The increasing trend towards 'street justice' the HRCP referred to, in fact, is a distressing sign of weak governance. The rise of vigilantism reflects abdication of authority by the state. Protest is a democratic right, but attempts to resolve matters through coercion is not. In the present instance, the atmosphere was already charged when the offensive programme was telecast. That was all the more reason the government should have acted immediately to prevent the situation getting from bad to worse, as it regrettably has. It has waited and dithered far too long. Those involved tendered apologies, and even obtained fatwas favouring forgiveness for inadvertent indiscretion. But the damage was already done. The issue has been exploited not only by the usual groups but, regrettably, also by certain media houses and journalists seemingly to settle scores. Casting journalistic ethics to the wind, they have been hosting discussions that could easily incite violence. Fortunately, lives have been spared thus far, but the level of conversation is alarmingly regressive. Such conduct will only further constrict the space for rational discourse, and may hold grave repercussions for media freedom itself. To say the least, it is sad indeed that this should happen at a time when religious extremism is increasing and seen as an existential threat to the State.
Also, the sordid episode involving the offensive programme that has generated so much grief and charged the atmosphere emotionally, shows that editorial control, exercised by the print media traditionally does not get much importance in most television channels. The events of the last few days amply demonstrate that some of the media houses are not acting with a sense of responsibility that comes with freedom. The media in functioning democracies is only as free as any common citizen. And an individual's freedom, as a popular saying goes, ends where the other person's nose begins. It is about time that all concerned sit together and formulate a code of ethics, and observe it too.