While battling the civilian government on an institutional level, the SC has been dependent on the media for sustained popular support. Consequently, when the Familygate gave birth to the Mediagate scandal, a credibility crisis is now facing both
What started as a whispering campaign in the media regarding Arsalan Chaudhury, has blown into a gigantic scandal. Fashionably dubbed as the Familygate, the latest scandal to rock Pakistan has not only undermined the credibility of the superior judiciary but also exposes the primacy a system of patronage has assumed in the country.
When former dictator Pervez Musharaf was humbled, media and judiciary assumed an added importance. Traditionally, civilian governments would strike deals with the military. This time around, the Supreme Court, after the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhury, led to a re-configuration of power in the country. Assisted by a buoyant middle-class and so-called independent media, the Chief Justice was able to build himself a support base which allowed the Supreme Court (SC) to emerge as an assertive centre of power. However, a centre of power that was apparently conniving with khaki establishment against the elected government. At least, the civilian government propagated such an equation in the power politics.
Hence, the Chief Justice (CJ) has become a controversial figure, avoiding a confrontation with the real grid of power in the country. Setting-up judicial commissions on issues such as the Memogate and Baluchistan, tested the limits of the SC. These judicial commissions confirmed the fears that the SC has been heavily politicized as rulings by various judicial commissions mirror a connivance with the establishment. Often, the elected government has been at the receiving end of the SC verdicts.
While battling the civilian government on an institutional level, the SC has been dependent on the media for sustained popular support. Consequently, when the Familygate gave birth to the Mediagate scandal, a credibility crisis is now facing both.
It was only recently that Arsalan Chaudhury, flashed onto the media’s radar despite being part of serious allegations in the past. What is more fascinating is the way Malik Riaz has been projected onto the public sphere. Since the famous Asghar Khan case where banking czar Younis Habib was seen as a central character in a billion rupee scandal, an industrialist of this stature has captured the limelight. Malik Riaz’ rise to power demonstrates that corruption is not the sole-issue in the country rather it's an inherent system of patronage.
This patron-client setup allows the ruling elite to derive benefits from the state apparatuses. In the process, certain clients become too powerful to be tamed by state apparatus. Lal Mosque phenomenon is one manifestation of this tension between patron-state relationship. Malik Riaz is another dimension. The commercial media are yet another manifestation of uneasy patron-client relationship.
What the Arsalan Chaudhury saga has also exposed is the fact that country’s mainstream media in their quest for ratings give a damn to journalistic ethics. Also, certain journalists and media houses are patronized by powerful institutions. This patronage has won them power, prestige and economic leverage. Now when talk-show celebrities are being unmasked, the SC has been undermined too as it was dependent on the media for its popular image. Consequently, the CJ will find it hard to regain the image tarnished by the Familygate. Rumours regarding Chief Justice’s resignation are already making rounds. It is possible that an immediate crisis is averted through some behind the scene deals. However, system’s credibility has been damaged beyond repair.
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The Author is a journalist who blogs at tigerali.wordpress.com and tweets under the username Sherakhan46. . |
