The Wages of Truth
As the Najam Sethis and Hussain Haqqanis of this world discovered to their discomfort, there is a price to be paid for writing the truth. Pakistan and other third world countries notwithstanding, this is intermittently true even in US of A, the bastion of freedom of expression and of speech, there being always elements who will militate against facts being presented as they are instead of being what they would like it to be. The moment you talk about accountability a personal smear operations goes into full swing. Others are now coming on the firing line, they include Khushnood of Sahafat, one of the really brave, outstanding newspapermen of Pakistan. That a “dirty tricks” campaign would be sanctioned by those who are holding high office and are supposed to be mature and responsible, is reprehensible. Unfortunately more loyal-than-the king underlings particularly those striving for stars, have often a way of convincing powers-that-be that their best interests are served by concocting smears, it can backfire to the detriment of the perpetrator. Two can play the same game and what has emanated from one source and gone unsolicited to various newspapers and magazines will not be as sensational if the muck-raking is entered to in earnest. After all this is an Islamic country and there are laws against rank un-Islamic behaviour, particularly in public. However, there are two reasons to hold one’s fire, viz (1) if others are stooping in the gutter one should not react the same way and (2) there is always the chance that a third party has got into the act to stoke the fire for their own motivation.
