Adil Najam
Supposedly, there is big news happening in Pakistan right now with ‘in-camera’ parliamentary hearings, unanimous resolutions on the Abbottabad operation, civil-military dialogue, and the like. Or, maybe, its just small news masquerading as big news. Certainly, news is “breaking” in a huge avalanche on every TV channel. But, then, news is Pakistan is a fragile commodity. It is always breaking!
But this post is not about fragile news. Its about fragile politicians, militarymen and media. This post is about a slightly frivolous observation. Frivolous, but only slightly.
It all started with a call from a journalist in Pakistan who wanted me to comment on the then-still-ongoing closed-door session of parliament on the Abbottabad operation. The question asked was: “What do you think about what was said in the closed-door meeting in parliament today?” I jokingly responded that I could not do so because it was a closed door session and therefore I did not know what was being said! So, my journalist friend told me exactly what was being said – verbatim, word for word, a more detailed report of exactly who said what than anything I have ever heard from or about the Pakistan parliament!
And all of this, in a closed-door, in-camera session! Interestingly, the journalist who called me or the media who reported the session statement-by-statement seem to see nothing odd about this. Every institution in the country – politicians, government, military, intelligence, media – is leaking like a sieve with extra holes, and we wonder why no one trusts us with sensitive secrets!
Obviously, some people inside parliament (seemingly many parliamentarians and/or intelligence and security operatives, maybe everyone) was leaking all that is being said in what is supposed to be the most confidential meeting on the most sensitive national security issue at the very highest level and in real time. And obviously journalists all across the country were spreading these leaks far an wide, maybe even embellishing some of what they heard and certainly adorning it with loaded commentary and innuendo.
Maybe it is just me and my readers also find nothing odd about this. But here is the thought that crossed my mind: Maybe the Americans were on to something after all when they chose not to share the details of the Abbottabad operation with anyone in Pakistan: If this is a demonstration of our very top politicians, military brass, and security agencies in keeping a secret, then can they really be trusted? Would you really want to trust them with any sensitive information on anything!
And what about the media? Less said the better. Maybe, we should hold a second “closed-door” “in-camera” session about what the media and its role and responsibility in dealing with “confidential” “national security:” “in camera” briefings. Would love to find out how that would go. And, obviously, we will!
RANT ALERT: Reader beware, as you can see I am in one of those moods today.. so let me continue the rant. The other thought that has struck me in these recent days is about what facts are really facts. It gets to me how everyone around me seems to have this uncanny ability to not only have an opinion on everything, but to also have facts. Facts seem especially easy to make up on issues on which there are no facts. Maybe we are just a really smart people. Everyone seems to know everything – all you need to do is to add “as you know” (aap tou jantey haiN) before anything and then pontificate with certainty and conviction even when it is clear you are making things up as you speak! Maybe it is my training as an academic researcher that is causing this bad mood – whoever came up with this idea that facts are not ideas that you think “must be” true, but things that you or someone has demonstrated to be true knows nothing about how facts are constructed in Pakistani society: A cup of tea, maybe three, and a few friends shouting at each other is all its takes for all of us to become convinced that the fancies we just constructed are, in fact, fact!
So be it. Facts are facts. Except when they are not. And if everyone starts believing in fancy, then fancy becomes fact. That, too, is a fact!
Aqil. I think you and many others here are missing the point.
I also agree that these shoudl not have been secret, maybe.
But the fact is that they were. And they were defined as national security. Yet, NEITHER THE POLITICIANS AND MILITARY IN TEH ROOM NOR THE MEDIA RESPECTED THE FACT THAT IT WAS CONFIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY. In any other country they would have, at least at that time.
What worries me, like Adil, is that imagine if the US had actually told anyone in Pakistan about Abbottabad. Given this performance, and given what we know about ourselves, do we really think that could ever have remained a secret (not about whether someone was working with Osama or not, just our Twitter warriors would have spilled the beans, hell with national security, my scoop is more important!
To me that is the point here.
Phew! I thought I was the only one ….till I read this post. Thank you Adil…you keep me sane.
The criticism is valid in principle, especially our media is totally out of control. That said, it’s hard to see why this meeting was secret in the first place. None of the details that have leaked out are things that could not have been discussed in public. If and when there is an actual inquiry by an independent commission, parts of it might indeed be too sensative to be released, but this National Assembly session should have been open.
Najam saheb, why do you waste your time writing for people who cannot read beyond the headline and incapable of even understanding the headline.
I think this has been one of the most brilliant pieces ever. I all your commentaries are great. You really hit it hard and on the head which is why it hurts. These drawing room nawabs of Pakistan on Twitter etc as as bad as our generals and politicians and I think the media is really the worst.
An hour ago I was watching a GEO documentary on the budget. The smug idiot of a reporter obviously had no idea of what a budget is or economic policy is but worst was this young female student from what seemed a plush college who went on and on about how she spoke to a gol gappay walla about what should be in the budget and what he said. First of all I dont think she ever had gol gappy let alone speak to a gol gappy walla. Second, thinking you will get macroeconomic advice from gol gappy wallas is as absurd and wanting to get gol gappy advice for Milton Friedman.
Our ignorance is amazing and the more ignorant people are they more they feel they have to be an expert in everything.
Thank you for writing this, as you rightly say: “And if everyone starts believing in fancy, then fancy becomes fact. That, too, is a fact!”
Adil sahab,
Great post. Reading all the comments make me to believe that we need different type of education. How correctly you said lot of things about us. We all believe in conspiracy. We all see problems in others, specially west. How can we as a nation correct ourselves??
“and a few friends shouting at each other is all its takes for all of us to become convinced that the fancies we just constructed are, in fact, fact!”
This is exactly what happening with us. I heard very smart individual denying the whole episode of Abbottabad.