Protest against arrest of Editor-in-Chief enters 123rd day

PESHAWAR: The workers of Daily Jang, Geo News and The News continued their protest against the arrest of their Editor-In-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Sunday.

The head of the largest media group of the country had been under detention by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since March 12 in a 34-year-old property case. The protesters gathered outside the offices of the media house were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands and seeking an immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman along with the withdrawal of the cases against him.

The speakers, including senior journalists Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Shah Zaman, Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others criticised the government.

They alleged the rulers wanted to suppress the voice of independent media and opposition.

Instead of taking action and holding accountability of the people involved in the mega corruption scandals, they said, the government detained the head of a major media group in an over three decades-old property case for which all the legal requirements had been met.

The protesters demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of cases against him, pledging to continue the protest till the acceptance of these demands.