Maulana Fazlur Rehman and censorship conundrum for media
BY ALI NAQVI –
Every citizen of Pakistan has its fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution of Pakistan. The right to have an opinion, political or otherwise, and the right to protest are the basic entitlements every Pakistani must exercise. Azadi March / Sit-in by Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a legitimate move supported by a combined opposition.
As they say ‘what goes around comes around’ Maulana Fazlur Rehman is harvesting a crop sown by Imran Khan himself. Sit-in in Islamabad for the resignation for the Prime Minister is completely justified from the viewpoint that PTI held during the last democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif.
The first rule in politics and the last mistake a military commander could make is it to underestimate the opponent. The current ruling elite, plus the ever corrupt establishment, has misjudged the resolve of Maulana Fazlur Rehman .
The so called ‘leader’ and the selected Prime Minister has stooped to the level of the worst dictator in the history of Pakistan General Ziaul Haq by imposing censorship on media. It is not alarming that the media is being curbed what is puzzling is that it has forfeited its liberty and freedom to report how things stand.
One could remember the time when media used to lament about attacks on freedom of press and freedom of speech even when a cameraman or a reporter were barely pushed away by an angry mob; the whole of print and electronic media used to make a united front against any curb on the independent media. It was virtually untouchable. Now, one wonders how the tables have turned.
Media is facing restrictions and censorship. Sacred cows have been protected by the ‘cattle community’ whose days in sheep’s clothing seems numbered. Nobody could imagine that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had the audacity to bring a large crowd to the gates of Islamabad. The government is still in the mood to confront. The Prime Minister instead of diffusing the situation and inviting the opposition for talks is slinging abuses and allegations of corruption. Such are the attributes of a man held hostage by his own ego but not somebody we could call politician let alone a leader.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman in his speeches has talked about the role of a particular institution without naming it. Most of us know what he is driving at but those who don’t should turn the pages of history and ask the following questions:
Why the ambulance of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah ran out of fuel?
Who killed the man who shot Liaqat Ali Kahn?
Why was Fatima Jinnah defeated in the election against Ayub Khan?
Why Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the most popular leader in the history of Pakistan was hanged?
Who created the monster of MQM?
Who washed clean the crime scene after Benazir Bhutto was assassination in Liaqat Bagh?
Who created the Nawaz Sharif Phenomenon and put him behind bars?
Which is the selection committee that selected a captain to premiership?
