EVEN for an administration known to be exceedingly thin-skinned, the PTI government’s contempt for the freedom of speech has perhaps never been more obvious. And its over-the-top reactions make for bad optics and even poorer strategy.

On Wednesday morning, an FIA team raided the home of media personality Mohsin Baig and arrested him after he allegedly fired his gun at the law-enforcement personnel and roughed up some of them. The action was taken, as per the FIA, after Federal Communications Minister Murad Saeed filed an FIR in which he accused Mr Baig of committing offences against him under the cybercrime law.

Specifically, Mr Saeed’s allegations pertain to a TV talk show on which the journalist had alluded to some controversial mention of him in a book by the prime minister’s former wife, Reham Khan. The channel on which the programme had aired was reportedly taken off cable networks even before a show-cause notice had been issued by Pemra, as required by the law.

The media environment, and more broadly the right to freedom of speech, has become increasingly constricted in Pakistan. The PTI government’s intolerance of dissent and its hostility towards the media has created a situation where journalists are seen as fair game for trolling, character assassination and worse.

Just the day before the raid, television host Syed Iqrarul Hassan levelled serious allegations against officials of the Intelligence Bureau. According to the journalist, the intelligence personnel detained him and his colleagues for hours at the agency’s Karachi office after they attempted to expose an IB inspector’s alleged corruption and subjected them to extreme torture and humiliation.

One can have reservations about Mr Hassan’s brand of journalism, or indeed question whether the talk show host in the earlier cited instance should have stopped Mr Baig from going down the path he did. It can even be demanded of TV channels that they revisit their codes of conduct. But to resort to such high-handed tactics as those meted out to the journalists is completely unacceptable.

Unfortunately, the PTI itself is much to blame for the vulgar and boorish quality of political discourse increasingly on display. Even government ministers have shown a shocking lack of restraint while making personal remarks about opposition members; yet they are easily offended when the tables are turned. Also, the PTI might consider the wisdom in picking such fights. Sometimes it is better to let sleeping dogs lie.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2022