By Afshain Afzal

To conduct loyalty test of journalists and media persons, the Federal Government in Pakistan on 2 December 2024, has mandated Intelligence agencies and Police including Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct said task. In the same regard, the Federal Government has formed a 10-member Joint Task Force to identify those involved in spreading malicious propaganda against the State of Pakistan.

An official statement said, Joint Task Force has been tasked with to identifying individuals, groups and organisations involved in creating and spreading fake and misleading news from 24 - 27 November 2024, including entire media campaign related to the issue (Islamabad's D Chowk Protests), tracking and tracing individuals and groups, whether in Pakistan or abroad, involved in this malicious campaign and bringing them to justice under the law, and suggesting measures to bridge policy gaps.

Many thanks to the Federal Government taking action on Article “A probe into 26th November Islamabad killings – Horrifying findings” published on 1^st December 2024 but there is requirement of a judicial probe by a Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan to give it a legal affect. There is no doubt that media did not play its due responsible role but who provided the malicious and fake information and data to the journalists and media persons, on the basis of which they carried out their campaigns and propaganda, playing with the sentiments of Pakistani nation and international community.

Denial to the unclassified official information is a crime under the law, “The Right to Access to Information Act, 2017”. We as journalists and media persons were expecting briefings and press releases from Ministry of Information, Press Information Department (PID), Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the political spokespersons of political parties, but they disappointed the masses and allowed to believe in rumours due to total blackout. Our institutions should have moral courage to come up and face the situation and perform their duties for which they are reasonably paid.

The politicians and government employees serving and retired, who took oath to be loyal to the ideology of Pakistan and the Constitutions issued highly provocative statements and become part of spreading fake and misleading information. The intelligence agencies and police also spread rumours as per the reports. Other institutions also did not play their due responsibilities so why only journalists and media persons are required to identified and brought to justice under the law. It is high time that to comprehend that “The Press (media) and Nation Fall and Rise Together.” Let us give up policy of suppression, coercion and blackmailing against those to dare speak the truth and allow free and responsible media to come up as power of Pakistani nation.