Arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman: Ahsan Iqbal terms it assault on freedom of expression

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister and Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Professor Ahsan Iqbal stated that his party and whole opposition will fight for freedom of media with full vigour for the sake of democracy and decency in the country. He termed the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman an assault on freedom of expression provided by the Constitution.

Professor Ahsan who had whirlwind visit of Multan and Bahawalpur on Saturday, told The News/Jang that people are fully supportive of the PML-N voice and the element which is trying to curb the media is bound to bite the dust in its evil designs. “The unjustified and unlawful arrest of Mir Shakil ur Rehman will give new impetus to the struggle for the media freedom and the government is bound to fail in strangulating the press freedom.

The history is witness that the rulers are thrown out of office whenever they tried to make quiet the press,” Professor Ahsan said. He said it’s unfortunate that the government is using NAB to humiliate its critics and instead giving attention to the performance, opting to hit the media that is showing its ugly face and its performance that is in shambles.

Ahsan Iqbal said that Mir Shakil’s arrest in a property matter hardly makes a dispute to be taken up by the NAB. It is the mockery of accountability. He reminded the PML-N has submitted an adjournment motion in the National Assembly to discuss the unconstitutional arrest of Mir Shakil ur Rehman and curbs on media freedom. The Professor regretted ban on Geo and change of its placement in numbers of cable providers.

To a query, he said the PML-N has got adopted resolution in the Punjab Assembly for the people of South Punjab. The creation of two provinces in South, one of South Punjab and the other of Bahawalpur province, is the answer for sufferings of the area. The PML-N standby its support for the people of South Punjab but the ruling PTI is playing with the sentiments of the people of South Punjab through gimmickries. Had it sincere with the cause of the people of South Punjab, it should have supported the move of two provinces made earlier by the PML-N.

Ahsan Iqbal who is known as an architect of CPEC, said that the PTI is trying to befool the people of South Punjab since it knows that new province could be carved in only after passage of the resolution by the Provincial Assembly before bringing it in the National Assembly.