Top businessman, PPP for early release of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief

KARACHI: Condemning the arrest of Jang Geo editor-in-chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, renowned travel magnate Yahya Polani on Tuesday said that the federal government should stop making problems for the businesspersons and immediately release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman from prison.

He criticized the fabricated 34-year-old private transaction case against the Jang-Geo group's Editor-in-Chief and remarked that instead of going after the business community in vengeance, the government should hold accountable its own people involved in corruption. Polani said that besides an editor, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was also a successful businessman who expanded the Jang-Geo Group across the world making the daily Jang newspaper world’s largest Urdu publication. He added that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being persecuted for upholding the truth. He said that because of the government’s vengeful campaign, the business community has become afraid and is pondering on moving their businesses outside the country since the policies here are tantamount to damaging the business. He demanded Rahman’s immediate release.

The Pakistan People’s Party leader MPA Javed Nagori said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has broken the record of the past dictators and has become the biggest tyrant. He said that the federal government’s attitude towards the independent media and impartial journalists is despicable. He said that the PPP denounces this vengeful campaign against the media and demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Nagori said that the Jang-Geo Group’s Editor-in-Chief was being punished for his independent editorial policies and his commitment towards truth. He said that Jang is the world’s largest Urdu publication and the past rulers also tried to control it for their advantage but they all miserably failed. Same will happen to Imran Khan, he asserted. “The case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will go down in history as a mockery of the judicial system. How come, a 34-year-old private transaction matter suddenly became so warranting to hold a person in prison?” he asked, commenting that this was being done in vengeance against Jang-Geo Group’s bold journalism to unveil the corruption of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. He said that the public has become fed up of Imran Khan’s policies and those who voted for him were regretting their decision. “Soon they will get rid of him,” he added.