Reading the front page of an esteemed English daily nearly shocked me this morning as I read the story of how a ‘mighty’ minister suggested state-sponsored blackmailing of media professionals in the country. It was a relief to learn that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani rejected the wicked proposition and disappointed the minister who had suggested hushing the journalists and TV anchors involved in unveiling the corruption of ministers and government officials.

The news story in the paper revealed that an important minister (not named in the paper) suggested to the Prime Minister to use certain material, gathered via secret agencies, against the journalists and TV anchors who have been raking up the stories of corruption in which the currently appointed ministers were involved. Another minister asked permission of the Prime Minister to sue a journalist who had published a post alleging his involvement incorruption.

To the disappointment of these ministers, and to the encouragement of media people, the Prime Minister bluntly rejected the insidious plan of blackmailing journalists and TV anchors. Instead, he told the ministers to defend themselves in the parliament against charges of corruption, in which case they would be completely on their own. Minister Azim Swati daringly proposed the formulation of a cabinet committee to inquire issues relating corruption but the other ministers cringed from the proposition.

The news post in question shows how daring Pakistani media has been in exposing corrupt politicians and what kind of odds they might expect in the way of their quest for truth. Thanks are certainly due here to the Prime Minister for rejecting the idea of state-sponsored blackmailing of media and also to the newspaper(s), which brought this condemnable plan to public knowledge.