Govt flayed for pressure tactics against independent media

PESHAWAR: The media workers flayed the government for the pressure tactics against the independent press as they continued the protest at the arrest of the Jang/Geo Group’s Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, on Friday.

The protesters were holding banners and placards, which had been inscribed with various slogans. The protesters raised slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau, vowing to continue the protest till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of cases instituted against him just to stop him from pursuing independent journalism.

They urged the government to release Mir Shakil as he was the leader of the biggest media group of the country and enjoyed a wide respect for being a true promoter of independent journalism. They were critical of the rulers for targeting the Jang Media Group through such pressure tactics but expressed the hope journalists would keep on reporting the truth despite all these odds. Arshad Aziz Malik, Resident Editor of Jang in Peshawar, senior journalist Shakil Farman Ali and other speakers said everyone had the right to access information and nobody could deprive them of this right.

They said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was unfair and a clear move by the government to bring under pressure the Jang Group and other media houses which stood for independent journalism. The speakers said the government did not meet the legal requirements before arresting the Jang Group chief who had been kept behind bars for 83 days without producing any proof against him. They said the detention of Mr Shakil was an attack on the press freedom and vividly showed the victimization of the independent media.