A flimsy case

The physical remand of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, editor-in-chief of this media group, has been extended for another 11 days. The accountability court extended the remand after the Lahore High Court (LHC) turned down his bail plea yesterday. This has come as a surprise to all those who were expecting that the LHC would grant him bail, and order his release pending the case in the accountability court. These expectations were not unfounded as the case against Mir Shakil is still standing on flimsy grounds. The case pertains to a private property deal concluded 34 years ago. The defence lawyer argued before the court that NAB overstepped its authority and jurisdiction by making the arrest despite Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman fully cooperating with it and presenting himself to NAB officials whenever they asked him to. Moreover, NAB’s own procedural guidelines do not call for arresting a businessperson who is cooperating and whose investigation is still in its initial stages.

According to law, prosecutors normally seek physical remand when they plan to recover something from the suspect, while in this case no such recovery is expected and Mir Shakil has already given all the documents demanded by NAB officials. When the country is facing an epidemic, there is a need to focus more on the challenges that have engulfed Pakistan. We need dynamic and vibrant media to ensure a smooth flow of information across the country. Under such circumstances, keeping Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in detention without solid ground is disappointing and disturbing. It is not clear what NAB wants to achieve from this ugly and unpleasant episode, apart from targeting a legacy media group that has stood for professionalism and transparency. The Jang/Geo Group has stood its ground in many a crises in the past and upheld the standard of free expression in this country.

That many international organisations working for freedom of expression across the world have condemned the fabricated case against the editor-in-chief of the Jang/Geo group should serve as an eye-opener to NAB and those that seem blind to the dubiousness of the case and the allegation. A free media is the backbone of any democratic society and its freedom must be a paramount concern for all. When NAB targets business people it creates an impression of uncertainty in the country. The government is already beset by a myriad of its own problems and can hardly afford gagging free expression in the country. The government and NAB must realize that ensuring freedom of expression is a hallmark of modern societies all over the world, and all attempts to curb or curtail such freedom only end in less democracy and a tarnished international image.