Musharraf was unhappy with Jabbar's performance

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 14. The resignation of Pakistan's Information Minister, Mr. Javed Jabbar, has come amidst indications that the military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, was not happy with his `performance'.

Though Mr. Jabbar has cited ``personal reasons'' for his resignation, there have been speculations in the press in the last few weeks that Gen. Musharraf was unhappy with him for all the ``bad press'' against the regime.

Mr. Jabbar, who was running a non-governmental organisation before joining the Musharraf Government, is an affable person with a liberal image. With his exit, the military government would be minus a known civilian face.

It is believed that Gen. Musharraf does not intend to make an appointment in the place of Mr. Jabbar and in all probability handle the all-important portfolio himself. If he decides to keep the Ministry to himself, it would be an indication of the significance he attaches to the subject and the pinch he is feeling on account of negative publicity in the media.

War of words

In the last few weeks, the print media in Pakistan has been engaged in war of words with the military government over its role. Gen. Musharraf has been rather harsh in his observations that the media is irresponsible and has been indulging in campaign that undermined the interests of Pakistan.

Gen. Musharraf first ventilated his ire against the media during his visit to New York to take part in the U.N. millennium Assembly session, in the second week of September. He said the Pakistani press deserved to be stifled ten times over for its reckless and irresponsible nature of reporting. He accused journalists of practising `lifafa' (packet) journalism- Though Gen. Musharraf hastened to add that he has no intention to have a crackdown on the press, his observations led to a furore in the press. It led to fears of an imminent crackdown. The raid by an army team on the headquarters of the Dawn group of papers only helped to further widen the gap between the military government and the media.

At the news conference in Lahore early this week to coincide with the first anniversary of the coup, Gen. Musharraf repeated his views on the ``irresponsible'' nature of the press and urged them to learn to look at the positive side of life.

His running theme was that the press, along with vested interests, was spreading despondency in the country by painting a gloomy scenario about the state of affairs.

The departure of Mr. Jabbar at this juncture is bound to heighten the suspicion among the journalists community on the true intentions of the military regime, vis-a-vis freedom of press and expression.

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Section  : International
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