Contrary to what is being said and written, the military and its agencies are not even thinking about gagging the media. All they want is responsibility and end to the 24 * 7 nonsense, which is getting on the nerves on the Pakistanis. GEO’s crossing the red line proved last straw on the camel’s back. Junk breaking news culture has made Pakistanis zombies. It was about time to do something about it. Don’t you see an evolutionary sense of letting democracy flourish in the establishment circle? Don’t you see the concious efforts on the part of top military brass to not to meddle into political affairs? Don’t you see the restrain shown in case of Musharraf and military bashing and the futile peace talks? It’s not that its some sort of favor. It’s just that things have improved. Nobody is sitting in GHQ waiting for a slight chance to do the coup.
But its absurd to think that military would detach itself from holding the guard. No sir, that would not be done. Military is guardian of borders of Pakistan and it would defend it from outside and from within. Military don’t want to control the national discourse. They don’t want to define the national interest. But they certainly want to be part of it, and will make sure they remain so. Recent problem with GEO was a symptom of bigger disease. In which country of world, people sit around a talk show, dozens and dozens of them, and start talking trash on anything they like. They would drag people, institutions, country and even religion into the mud, and then go home basking in the media limelight, just to start over again. This is high time for all the media channels and a wake up call. They way public has welcomed the criticism and accountability of GEO by the PEMRA on the complaint of military shows that people want channels to behave too. There are some red lines and limits to everything. Let people decide who is traitor and who is patriot. In case of GEO, people have spoken.