Feeding uncertainty (13112008)

The print and electronic media is creating unnecessary uncertainty by publishing unfounded reports of the imminent change. Here is an example; a newspaper report carried a news item quoting former President General Musharraf that "Circumstances may bring me back", this was the headline, but in the body of the news there was no such thing, all the former President said was that his return to politics depends on future circumstances! It was a media man who asked the former President about the imminent change in the political set-up and his role in such a change, to which the former President replied that nothing like this is going to happen. There cannot be a more direct, precise and succinct answer to these speculations.
The question is why is the media feeding uncertainty? The new government has only been in power for a little longer than six months, the President has been in the office for two months, but the rumour mongering about the future of the current set-up, its imminent departure is gaining currency and is being spread around in a systematic manner. Media is not alone in creating the hype, there are some businessmen who quote politicians saying the same thing; the change is imminent, "they have till March" or they only have three more months before being given marching orders.
Pakistan has many problems, perhaps too many, some of them self-inflicted and caused by the lack of competence to govern, but lack of political stability is not one of these problems any more because we have an elected government which has four and half years to serve and a President who also has almost the same too.
Media also needs to act responsibly. By becoming part of the conspiracy to create an atmosphere of distrust and insecurity, the media is only playing in the hands of the people who do not want democracy to take root in Pakistan. Former President Musharraf is a spent force, he is yesterday's news, by running after him, posing him the questions about the viability of the current set-up and seeking his role in such a set-up is an insult to the one hundred and fifty million people of the country and makes a mockery of the whole system of democracy.
The current set-up is good, bad or ugly will be and should be decided by the people at the time of the next elections, which is four plus years away, in the mean time we should avoid creating unnecessary chaos and confusion which is harming the country.