What Matiullah Jan Has Done Now?

Matiullah Jan never ceases to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. He always manages to upset the powerful people in high places. Despite of being thrown out of multiple newspapers, TV channels, magazines, and other organizations, he never stops speaking controversial things. People are asking what Matiullah Jan has done now? and the answer is same as he has been doing from the start of his career.

Irony is journalists & anchors who remain brand ambassador for “Freedom of Speech” are always first to block on twitter, not only when someone abuses them, even when someone correct their misleading stats. Many names of senior journalists and anchors are included in the list, some of whom have been added for being provided flights or accommodation as part of official delegations with government officials such as the former prime minister.

The media situation in Pakistan deteriorated in the context of the controversial election in 2018. When parts of the media cried foul, the security and intelligence machinery sought to silence them. Journalists critical of the army’s interference in politics were told to fall in line or risk losing their jobs. A wide variety of tools and services are available; some are relatively simple (paid likes/followers, etc.), while some are more unusual—some services promise to stuff online polls, while some force site owners to take down stories.

Journalists and members of civil society demanded the SC make public names of the private TV channel received Rs300 million from the information ministry and of all those journalists who allegedly received huge payments from ministry. Geo said the NAB only arrested Rehman because of investigative pieces his channels had conducted into the bureau. Over the past 18 months the NAB has “sent our reporters, producers and editors – directly and indirectly – over a dozen threatening notices,” the statement read, adding that the bureau had said it would shut down” our channels.

This is high time that journalists should do some soul searching and start self-accountability, otherwise courts will keep taking these actions to stop them online and offline. They have a responsibility and they must fulfill it. At the end of 2019, large parts of Pakistan’s mainstream media are faced with the twin challenges of a tight financial squeeze and a crisis of credibility –largely thanks to a government that is hostile to a free media.

I think the liberal media is justified in suppressing conservative opinions. They see everyone from the same eye and they judge everyone on the same scale. They insult people and take pride in it.