Islamabad, Pakistan – Journalist Amir Mehmood* was preparing for work when his cellphone buzzed with a WhatsApp message.
As a member of the highest administration at a personal information channel in Pakistan’s second-largest metropolis, Lahore, Mehmood was used to getting continuous calls and messages, even at odd hours.
However the title of the sender of that message on Tuesday morning caught his consideration and he instantly picked up his cellphone. It was an official who belonged to the nation’s highly effective army, which has instantly dominated over Pakistan for greater than three a long time of its 75-year existence as a constitutional republic and has managed most levers of energy, from behind the scenes, even when civilian governments have been in workplace.
“Principally, the individual identified a few of our election protection and mentioned we should not use the flags of PTI or point out their affiliation with candidates backed by the social gathering. It instructed us to obviously determine the candidates solely as ‘unbiased’ and never present which social gathering they have been associated to,” Mehmood advised Al Jazeera.
Mehmood is amongst a number of journalists working in newsrooms of various TV information channels and internet shops, who’ve advised Al Jazeera of directions they’ve acquired successfully imposing near-blanket censorship on protection of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social gathering forward of the nation’s February 8 elections.
PTI, based by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is broadly seen as presumably the nation’s hottest political social gathering. However Khan, a cricketing icon, has been imprisoned since August 2023 as he awaits trials over fees of corruption and leaking of state secrets and techniques – allegations he dismisses as being politically motivated.
Since he misplaced a confidence vote in parliament in April 2022 and was pressured out of energy, Khan and his PTI have faced a crackdown. Tens of 1000’s of the PTI’s members have been arrested and a whole lot of leaders have give up the social gathering – many below alleged stress by the army.
The nomination papers of Khan and dozens of his social gathering leaders for the February 8 elections have been rejected by the Election Fee of Pakistan. Not too long ago, the Supreme Court docket upheld the ballot fee’s resolution to strip the PTI of its election symbol – a cricket bat – forcing lots of the social gathering’s candidates to contest the vote as independents.
Pakistani media was already barred from reporting Khan’s speeches or rallies on TV. However now, the restrictions on protection of the PTI seem to have turn into much more expansive.
No flag, no reference
As quickly as Mehmood acquired the WhatsApp message, he shared it along with his boss. After a short dialogue, the 2 issued a channel-wide discover to take away PTI references from all visuals, graphics and speaking factors, and determine its candidates solely as independents, with no point out of the social gathering they characterize.
Of the seven journalists Al Jazeera spoke to, six insisted on anonymity for worry of reprisals from their organisations. Three of them, together with Mehmood, confirmed receiving directions on Tuesday to not run PTI flags or present social gathering affiliations with their candidates.
A Lahore-based govt producer at one of many prime information channels additionally confirmed receiving directions from his administration, which mentioned that candidates endorsed by the PTI should not be recognized as such.
“We’re advised to not even show the PTI social gathering flag with their title, and to emphasise that they’re solely unbiased candidate,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Murtaza Solangi, Pakistan’s caretaker info minister, nevertheless, denied the claims. “We now have NOT issued any orders like that,” he replied to Al Jazeera in a WhatsApp message.
The nation’s media regulator, the Pakistan Digital Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), has to date not issued an official assertion or order that considerations limiting protection of any social gathering. It didn’t reply to queries by Al Jazeera on whether or not such directions had been issued.
Inter Companies Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, additionally didn’t reply to questions despatched by Al Jazeera.
Simple intimidation
It isn’t simply journalists who’re alleging censorship. The Human Rights Watch in its latest report mentioned the Pakistani authorities has elevated stress on media shops and people.
To make sure, accusations of censorship, pre-poll rigging and suppression of dissent will not be new within the nation. “This sample of directions coming down from the institution has been happening for a very long time,” mentioned Mehmood. It was once different events that confronted the brunt earlier. Now, it’s the PTI’s flip.
Certainly, when Khan was prime minister and the PTI was in power – it loved good relations on the time with the “institution”, a euphemism for the Pakistani army – worldwide media watchdogs resembling Reporters With out Borders issued reviews condemning harassment and intimidation of journalists.
Now, along with the intimidation and harassment confronted by Khan and his social gathering management, media personnel recognized as PTI-leaning have been focused too.
A number of journalists have been picked up by state authorities, usually with out clarification, and saved in detention for days and even months. Many others have confronted charges of sedition.
All of the journalists Al Jazeera spoke to pointed to the events of May 9 final yr as a turning level – a second after which Pakistani authorities have engaged in unprecedented ranges of media monitoring and censorship, they mentioned.
On that day, 1000’s of PTI and Khan supporters got here out on the streets to protest their chief’s arrest in a corruption case. Whereas Khan was released after a short detention, the rioters torched authorities buildings and army installations, leading to an enormous crackdown in opposition to the social gathering and its supporters.
Days after the occasions of Might 9, media watchdog PEMRA issued a round, imposing a ban on protection of these concerned within the riots, and later it was reported {that a} ban had been imposed on utilizing Khan’s title or his picture in broadcast protection.
An Islamabad-based journalist, who’s the web site editor of a information channel, defined that after Might 9, there have been clear instructions that something concerning Khan or his social gathering that went on air or on-line required clearance from prime administration.
“We perceive that PTI and Imran Khan are proper now entities that are out of favour, so we work accordingly. For instance, we attempt to keep away from utilizing Khan’s photograph as a lot as doable however whether it is obligatory, we attempt to use one during which he seems frightened, or distressed, form of constructing a selected notion about him,” he advised Al Jazeera.
What makes the scenario much more difficult, says one other journalist with almost 15 years of expertise in print and digital journalism, is the shortage of readability and the “arbitrary” method of censorship.
“Previous to the 2018 polls, there was some readability on what lets say and couldn’t. Now, typically Imran Khan and information associated to him are talked about on TV, or directions are to make use of his title solely within the textual content of the story however not within the headline. It seems that this confusion is finished intentionally,” the journalist advised Al Jazeera.
One other instance she cited was the utilization of the time period “institution” for the Pakistani army.
“Final yr, we have been instructed to indirectly the use time period institution on TV or in information reviews, however use another options, even when all people is aware of who we’re speaking about. We stopped for some time, however our channel is once more utilizing the time period, with none penalties,” she added.
Modified ways
Azaz Syed, a veteran journalist who works for the nation’s largest media outlet Geo, mentioned that whereas assaults on the media and efforts to censor the press have been a actuality of Pakistani journalism for many years, the ways have now advanced.
Referring to numerous incidents in the past, Syed mentioned that, earlier, journalists related to information organisations can be focused individually.
“Whereas these people, who’re primarily working in a private capability as social media journalists, nonetheless proceed to get focused resembling Imran Riaz Khan, by and huge, the intimidation and stress is now exerted on media homeowners and the highest tier of administration,” he advised Al Jazeera. Imran Riaz Khan, a preferred TV anchor, was arrested final Might whereas on his solution to Oman, and solely launched 4 months later.
An Islamabad-based tv journalist mentioned in his earlier function at one other TV channel, he would get direct calls from the army’s media wing however that has fully stopped now.
“ISPR officers would name us to provide instructions about information agenda and editorial management, which at the moment was once in favour of the PTI. Nevertheless, now this doesn’t occur anymore. No matter new instruction or coverage resolution there may be, it solely comes from administration,” the journalist advised Al Jazeera.
Erosion of belief
Whereas the mainstream media faces the brunt of diktats on what to air and what to keep away from, the tentacles of censorship have additional unfold on the web and social media, thought of the energy of PTI and its usually youthful supporters.
On greater than six events within the final one yr, totally different social media apps resembling Fb, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X have confronted restrictions, with three situations in simply the final one month. All three situations coincided with on-line occasions organised by the PTI.
On January 22, authorities officers indicated that they can’t assure unrestricted entry to the web earlier than and on election day.
Solangi, the interim info minister, mentioned throughout a information convention that the current situation of web entry was triggered resulting from “technical causes” and there was no method he might situation a “assure” that this is able to not occur in future.
Ahmed Shamim Pirzada, director-general of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the telecom regulator, additionally mentioned in the identical presser, that present programs have been being “upgraded” with out offering particulars.
“Our system is being upgraded, and these [internet accessibility] issues might proceed for 2, three months,” he added.
Ramsha Jahangir, a coverage and communications skilled on the World Community Initiative (GNI), an organisation centered on freedom of expression and privateness in expertise, mentioned these incidents and feedback are solely proof of “a longstanding sample of censorship” in Pakistan.
“Within the context of elections, web shutdowns particularly forestall people from exercising free expression concerning the elections, undermine the watchdog function of journalists and media, and hinder the efforts of these documenting elections, which limits info integrity,” Jahangir advised Al Jazeera.
These considerations have been additionally expressed by journalists, who say that if web entry is restricted on polling day, it might gravely affect their protection.
An Islamabad-based journalist, a part of the election cell of a newly launched TV channel, says that the current information convention by the interim info minister left him and his colleagues frightened about performing their duties.
“These sorts of issues add further stress to a day which is already irritating. Think about, if there are web restrictions, how will we have the ability to coordinate with our correspondent out within the discipline? ” the journalist advised Al Jazeera. “How can we put together for these conditions?”
“Whereas some giant media organisations have DSNGs [Digital Satellite News Gathering units] in 10-12 cities, the remainder of us rely closely on WhatsApp and different social media apps to gather info. If the web finally ends up being restricted, are we going to depend on solely these few cities to provide election outcomes of a rustic as large as Pakistan?” he requested. DSNGs permit tv crews to distant and broadcast reside from the spot.
Jahangir of GNI agreed, saying any restriction on web entry might result in additional erosion of belief and the equity of the elections.
“This brazen disregard of democratic rules sends a chilling sign that Pakistan is turning into an inhospitable floor for each freedom of expression and enterprise,” she added.
Lopsided protection
The concentrating on of Khan and the PTI, and the blackout of their political messaging, has led to electoral protection that’s bereft of the virtually festive really feel of earlier campaigns within the run-up to the elections.
A journalist remembers that in December final yr, he had commissioned a section the place folks in several areas of town have been requested to share which social gathering would they vote for within the polls.
“The constituency the place the vox pop was completed, was a stronghold of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and over 60 % of respondents mentioned they may vote for them, with different 40 % naming PTI. Regardless of that, we have been instructed by the administration to drop it,” he mentioned.
The PMLN is the social gathering of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned just lately from years in exile, and has seen a number of corruption circumstances in opposition to him dropped by courts, sparking hypothesis that he’s the army’s favoured candidate within the coming elections.
The Islamabad-based journalist mentioned he fears the nearer Pakistan will get to election day, the harsher these restrictions will get to sideline the PTI and promote the PMLN and Sharif.
“What I personally really feel is that these orders to advertise PMLN will enhance whereas PTI and its candidates, although they’re unbiased, will likely be pushed apart,” he mentioned.
Mehmood, the senior official of the Lahore-based channel, says there was whereas there was “undoubted” manipulation within the run-up to the polls in 2018 too, issues are far worse this time, and there’s barely even a whiff of “honest competitors”.
“Again in 2018, we have been by no means requested to black out any social gathering. Despite the fact that Nawaz Sharif was sentenced and there have been restrictions on him, his social gathering, their candidates have been all capable of marketing campaign. This time, there is no such thing as a PTI or their image on a poll,” Mehmood mentioned.
“The protection is totally lopsided now. There is no such thing as a stage taking part in discipline. The most recent instruction to take away the candidate’s social gathering affiliation or PTI flag means the thought is full erasure, so folks don’t know who the PTI candidate is.”
*Title modified resulting from considerations over potential retribution.
