THE registration of cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act against four newspapers by the Quetta police is unjustifiable. The newspapers were hauled up for publishing a statement by Jaish al-Islam, a banned organisation, in which the group claimed responsibility for the killing of a police officer. It goes without saying that the media must not glorify violence. But the glorification of terrorism is one thing; covering acts of terror, or statements claiming these, quite another. For instance, Al Qaeda supremo Ayman al-Zawahiri is among the world’s most wanted militants, but what he says and does is reported the world over. Similarly, giving coverage to the TTP’s brazen-faced threat of violence against political parties during the current election campaign makes eminent sense so that the public remains informed of the group’s intentions. And when the TTP made a so-called peace offer, the media reported not only the sham offer but the subsequent debate in parliament. More than a decade ago, the Musharraf regime banned many extremist parties, but that had little effect on their working. The bans proved ineffective for two reasons: first, the outlawed groups re-emerged under new names; second, the ban placed no restrictions on the activity of the personalities behind the groups. This ensured the continuity of the parties’ leadership. Currently, many such personalities are taking part in next month’s election and the media has no choice but to bring this to the notice of the people.

Meanwhile, threatened by the militants on the one hand and hounded mercilessly by the security agencies on the other, the media in Balochistan is facing severe restrictions in its attempt to present a factual and unbiased view of the growing menace of militancy in the province. With militants — Islamists and nationalists — issuing threats to the media and actively hampering the distribution of newspapers in certain areas, it is up to the government and the mainstream Baloch national parties to provide a secure environment to journalists instead of further deterring them from their job.

Opinion

Editorial

Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...
Rushed legislation
Updated 06 Nov, 2024

Rushed legislation

For all its stress on "supremacy of parliament", the ruling coalition has wasted no opportunity to reiterate where its allegiances truly lie.
Jail reform policy
06 Nov, 2024

Jail reform policy

THE state is making a fresh attempt to improve conditions in Pakistan’s penitentiaries by developing a national...
BISP overhaul
06 Nov, 2024

BISP overhaul

IT has emerged that the spouses of over 28,500 Sindh government employees have been illicitly benefiting from BISP....