Having experienced an unprecedented revolution in social media, our country has seen enormous opportunities to connect people of different cultures, languages, ethnicities, and social backgrounds, deeming it a divine boon. However, it has also caused conflicts and confusion, exacerbating differences to a mounting agony and antagonism.

Recently, the Punjab government passed a defamation bill in the provincial assembly to stem the burgeoning smear campaigns against government officials, the judiciary, and security institutions. This bill met with outright rejection and criticism from journalist bodies and media stakeholders, including APNS, PBA, PFUJ, AEMEND, and CPNE. They termed it an attempt to clip the wings of analysts and critics of government policies and court verdicts.

There is no skepticism in the prevalent perception that we live in an age of fake and fictitious news, concocted and propagated through both mainstream and social media, causing a great deal of embarrassment to the victims. The bill has received gratuitous criticism and inveighing comments from concerned entities, considering it an assault on freedom of expression and the liberties of common citizens.

However, the most imperative aspect of this defamation bill is being ignored without a merit-based analysis. Since the emergence of the PTI on our political landscape, there has been an unprecedented rise in fake and fictitious news, concocted narratives, smear campaigns, and the blatant use of invective and abusive language against political rivals and ideological opponents in Pakistan since 2011.

It is crucial to recognize the damage done to the fabric of our society through the irresponsible and unprofessional use of social media and mainstream media in Pakistan. It is necessary to clamp down on those creating messes and panic, masquerading as political analysts and critics, who have been poisoning the minds of our youth with fabricated stories and fake reports, driving a wedge of difference, and propagating political polarization.

Journalism is one of the stout pillars of our society on which the edifice of our state rests. It is a revered profession tasked with mirroring the true picture of our society, pointing out flaws in government policies with constructive criticism to show the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it has become a common perception that some media houses have played havoc by joining the folds of political parties and propagating their narratives without cogent logic or solid reasons, further aggravating the situation.

It is highly condemnable that some media houses have played a despicable role in dividing the nation through biased media policies and prejudicial analyses. Sensational news stories are eagerly bought by the audience without in-depth investigations. On the other hand, spreading fake and fictitious news on social media has become a billion-dollar industry, with even the most venerated analysts and news anchors joining in to accumulate wealth through spreading fake news and initiating smear campaigns against officials and high-ups in security and government regimes.

With the passage of this defamation bill by the Punjab government, it is hoped that those involved in spreading fake news and creating rifts and panic among the people will desist from this abominable business. This corrective course will hopefully bear fruit. There is ample evidence that social media has been used to defame martyrs, soldiers, judges, and politicians for detrimental political gains, pitching naive people against their own guardians of geographical borders. It is disheartening that even eminent anchors have become part of such smear campaigns to get maximum likes and views on their You- Tube channels, pursuing the agenda of enemies feeding them fake and sensational news items.

The bill has undoubtedly petrified journalists and news anchors who have been minting money through spreading fake news and panic among the masses. Their rumor factories churning out fabricated news and analyses without evidence will now be under proper checks and balances by government watchdogs, causing frustration and anxiety among these hate mongers and perjury merchants.

However, there is no need for panic among those pursuing the sacred profession of journalism with dignity and uprightness. Even if someone is accused of spreading fake news, they shall be considered innocent until proven guilty. To obliterate the menace of fake news from our society, such legislation should be appreciated instead of being rejected without understanding its future ramifications.

SAJJAD KHATTAK,

Attock.