Opinion View from the neighbourhood | From BBC crackdown to blasphemy: What the Pakistani media is talking about

A weekly wrap up of the issues being discussed and debated in India's neighbourhood

An armed security person stands stand guard at the gate of a building housing BBC office in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP)

Adya Goyal

February 19, 2023 12:31 PM IST First published on: Feb 19, 2023 at 12:18 PM IST

India’s Kashmir shutdown and fishermen arrests

A week ago, India released the six remaining Pakistani fishermen of the 26 that were detained in Indian jails since 2016. They were on the five boats that were caught by Indian authorities in the disputed area of Sir Creek. Dawn commented on this saying, “This cruel cycle of capturing and incarcerating fishermen needs to be abandoned by both states.” The News International added that “The fact that the maritime border is not clearly marked in many places also makes it inevitable that fishermen without proper navigation equipment or other devices to help them know precisely where they are placed will cross over into enemy territory.” The general narrative is that since both parties agreed to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, “arrested crew and vessels need to be promptly released” and we must “honour this commitment to lessen the misery of fishermen”.

The next pertinent issue — Kashmir — included two main stories. One is a report by a virtual private network company, Surfshark, on how the residents of Kashmir experienced more internet shutdowns and restrictions in 2022 than Iraq and Russia. The Express Tribune said on the issue, “But unlike Russia, Iran, and even the rest of India, where blackouts and restrictions were generally considered a responsive move to protests or other unrest once problems had already started, in Kashmir, they were often a preemptive move, taken just to ‘put the people in their place’.” The second issue is the “crackdown on Kashmir rebel funerals” (The Nation, February 12). The Nation adds that “a decent burial is a basic human right being denied” and that “at least 580 suspected rebels were killed in confrontations and their bodies denied to their families for proper burials since April 2020.” They end with the statement, “We have been bearing witness to Indian settlement in its colonisation of the valley and it is heartbreaking to think of the on-ground situation that is being muffled by the media crackdown.”

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Lastly, the recent “survey” of BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai were extensively discussed in the Pakistan media. Both Daily Times (February 16) and Dawn (February 16) had much to say on the matter. Dawn says, “Such tactics by the Modi government are not new. In the past, those media outlets that have failed to toe the official line have also had unpleasant visits from the taxman…”. It concludes by saying, “The result has been an editorial line that rabidly promotes Hindutva, casts aspersions on Indian Muslims’ patriotism, and paints Pakistan as the eternal enemy, while branding all criticism of the state as ‘anti-national’.” Moreover, “The world community needs to condemn these steps towards muzzling the media, and support those in India working for a free press.” Daily Times editorial states that “Currently hosting the G20, India, the world’s ‘largest democracy’ is still haunted by accusations of discrimination against its minorities”, but that it can also not risk losing its relationship with the West over an event in the past. Consequently, “the BJP has maintained that these accusations are baseless and reflect a tradition of ‘orchestrated propaganda’”. But both outlets are certain that “the raids have little to do with alleged tax improprieties, and more to do with the contents of the documentary [BBC’s India: The Modi Question]” (Dawn, February 16).

Pakistan’s economic woes — rising taxes and IMF bailout

Firstly, on February 15, the Pakistan Minister for Finance and Revenue, Ishaq Dar, introduced the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2023 — also known as the “mini-budget” in parliament. While this is meant to help the economy, the predominant view is that the budget and further inflation will be backbreaking for the poor more than anyone else with “a whopping 30 per cent food inflation” (Daily Times, February 15). News International (February 16) comments on this saying, “Indirect tax on consumption is the most distortionary kind of tax, punishing the most vulnerable segments of society”. The Express Tribune (February 17) agrees, saying, “the beleaguered coalition government believes that it has no recourse but to tax the masses, and keep on buffering up the revenue. That is neither a viable option, nor is it going to be a feasible one..”. But The Nation (February 12) says that while “tough times are ahead… we have little negotiating power as of right now” and so “Local industries should be given a boost so that they have enough power, agency and resources to create outputs that can be exported”. They conclude more positively reminding the nation that “there are still many opportunities in Pakistan should the government choose to take advantage of them. What remains most pertinent is that we take the first step towards utilising them.”

The Nation (February 16) also talks about Pakistan’s “race against time to get the IMF programme approved”. Further, “the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had already approved revisions in electricity and tariffs… to adjust for inflation”. The Nation, in continuation with its earlier stance, believes that “the government has to do whatever it takes to unlock the IMF tranche”. And it concludes by saying that “Taken all together, these are really tough measures that will severely burden the population, but given how poorly affairs have been handled, there is no other option but to swallow the bitter pill”.

Blasphemy, sedition and the question of elections

In domestic news and politics, three main issues stand out: Namely, the mob lynching of a man who was accused of blasphemy; the case of the former finance minister Shaukat Tarin who is now being accused of sedition; and the court order for the Election Commission of Punjab to announce the date for its elections immediately. Dawn, Express Tribune, Nation and News International all condemn the lynching. Dawn (February 13) says “Over the decades, it is the state that allowed extremism to grow at home, often weaponising religion for its own ends. The remedy too lies primarily with the state”. Express Tribune (February 13), meanwhile, takes a lateral view saying, “it is a collective failure of the society as religious scholars have limited their discourse to lip service, and have not been able to prevail over their subjects to educate them the true spirit of Islam, compassion and forgiveness”. The Nation (February 13) states that, “The most difficult and important fact to face is that all sentences for blasphemy have been extrajudicial. No executions by the court have taken place”. News International (February 13) says, “the impunity accorded to extremist groups, the appeasement of violence by the state and the cynical weaponization of religion have brought us to this point”.

Explained | How has Pakistan made its blasphemy laws even more stringent?

The second issue being talked about is the former finance minister Shaukat Tarin’s alleged statements to ‘derail’ the IMF deal. Dawn and Express Tribune both believe that “This does not entail a case in the sedition ambit” (Express Tribune, February 14). Dawn also adds that “a parallel investigation also needs to take place probing who bugged the former minister’s phone” (Dawn, February 15).

The court’s order to immediately announce a date for the Punjab election also received attention. The Lahore High Court ordered the Election Commission to kickstart the process for elections in Punjab. Express Tribune (February 12) hails the decision to be “as per law and Constitution” and notes that, “the dye has been cast for scaling down political tensions that were brewing between PTI and the coalition government” as a result of the mandate to hold elections within 90 days. Daily Times (February 12) says that “the ball is, indeed, in the politicians’ court”. The Nation (February 12), however, takes a contrary stand: “… we need a certain sense of consistency and stability for decisive and appropriate policies to be made regarding the allocation of resources, project planning and more”. It adds that “if they [elections] are held with the general body elections it would be ‘more free, fair and acceptable’ and there is some merit to this argument. It would minimise costs, allow for better logistical management…”.

adya.goyal@expressindia.com