The Role of the Pakistani Mass Media in the Lawyers' Resistance against the Musharraf Dictatorship, 2007-2009

Abstract

In the present context, when the civil movements have shaken the Arab world with successes in Libya and Egypt, it is appropriate to look back at the triumphant lawyers' movement against dictatorship in Pakistan. Pakistan has a long history of coup d'état by army generals who until now have ruled the country for more than three decades in three different rules. The lawyers' struggle became a catalyst for one of the most memorable and incredible social movements in Pakistan's history. There have been studies on various aspects of this movement, especially the lawyers' leadership and organization, but not on the role of the mass media and its impact of this particular civil struggle. This paper analyses some aspects of the Pakistani mass media that contributed to sustaining the lawyers' resistance against General Pervez Musharraf's authoritarian rule. This paper focuses on the role of TV channels and internet in the civil resistance led by the lawyers during the period of 2007 and 2009.