Protest continues against arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

PESHAWAR: The workers of the Jang Media Group on Wednesday continued their protest against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, the protesters asked the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdraw the cases against him.

The protesters criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for victimizing opponents and suppress the voice of the independent media. Speaking on the occasion, Jang Resident Editor, Arshad Aziz Malik, and senior journalist, Shakeel Farman Ali, recalled that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been detained in a 34-year-old property case without any solid evidence. They asked the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the issue and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. The protesters demanded the immediate release of the Jang Media Group chief and withdrawal of cases against him or else they would prolong the protest movement. They criticized the rulers for using the NAB to strangulate the voice of the independent media but hoped they would not succeed in these efforts. The protesters recalled that such efforts had been made in the past as well but the journalists and the media owners stood their grounds against these tactics.