Prof Sajid Mir slams PTI govt for victimising editor-in-chief

LAHORE: Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith (MJAH) president Senator Prof Sajid Mir has termed the arrest of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman an attempt to usurp media freedom by the PTI government despite its chairman in the past termed party’s success and popularity to Geo TV. In his video statement Friday, Senator Sajid Mir said Prime Minister Imran Khan was simply implementing his threats to Geo TV/Jang Group which he had been hurling before and during his election campaign, and after coming to power. He said the premier was now conspiring to muzzle the same media which he had been praising as its chief supporter for bringing him to power.

Sajid Mir said Imran was now taking open victimisation measures to punish media outlets exposing the faults of his policies and governance. He said the nation must keep in mind that any attack on freedom of expression was actually an attack on the democratic freedom and institutions. He said people of Pakistan had always opposed the anti-media steps by rulers in the past, adding that the rulers were spoiling their own prestige before the world and their own people. He demanded the PTI government to refrain from victimising media, and give up resurrecting old-died cases against media owners, and instead focus its energies towards providing relief to the masses.

Meanwhile, JUI-F’s central Spokesman Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is being victimised for speaking the truth. He said that his arrest by NAB has elevated his stature which was already at its peak.