Noisy talk shows asked Musharraf to throw away his army uniform. He protested that the dress "has become part of my skin". (Soon enough a newspaper column appeared mischievously titled Must we now learn how to skin?) TV Channels broadcasted a fiery Superme Court seminar in which the dismissed Justice observed, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
In spite of Mr. Musharraf strongly urging "the media not to politicise a purely judicial and legal matter," the excited journalists refused to take the hint. Worse happened when Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, a military writer, recently published a book titled Military Inc - Inside Pakistan's Military Economy. Taking on the army for its corporate entanglements, the talk-of-the-town book was denied a launch, as scheduled, in an Islamabad club. Stranger things happened. The book was sold out on the first day itself – an honor not enjoyed by the General's 2006 ghost-written memoirs. Many suspect state funds were acquired to buy the entire first edition so that 'gullible' people remain unaware of the goings-on in the cantonments.
With the stifling of TV channels, print media fears it could be their turn next. They need not worry. Once a tiger has tasted blood, it won't settle for grass. Pakistanis have seen too much to be lambs again. They just need to roar, a little louder than usual, and Mr. Musharraf would scurry away – his tail tucked between his legs.
Article comments
1 - mt
unexplainably dumb antics. the next day there were clips on tv with the information minister meeting a conference table full of owners of media groups, the PBA pakistan broadcasters association, laughing and chatting, with the statement that the regulating authority PEMRA, the govt and tv channels need to understand each other ie communicate with each other better. the channel sent off air was back soon.
Dawn News
2 - moonraven
Where are the quotes from speeches from Rice and Bush about the disappearance of freedom of expression in Pakistan--and the destruction of democracy?
There will not be any because the Pakistani dictator is THEIR GUY....in the best tradition of Somoza.