Protest continues against arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

PESHAWAR: The media workers on Thursday continued the protest against the arrest of the Jang/Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and renewed the demand for his release.

The protesters gathered outside the offices of the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV to express anger at the unjust incarceration of the owner of the biggest media group of the country. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans which condemned the pressure tactics against the independent media and confinement of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Farmanullah Jan, Shah Zaman, Ansar Abbas, Qaisar Khan, Gulzar Khan, Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others spoke on the occasion.

The speakers said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been under arrest since March 12 on fabricated charges. They flayed the government for victimizing Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his Jang Group for promoting independent journalism. The speakers said a number of legal experts and people from other sections of the society had visited them during the protest to express solidarity with the Jang Group after the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur Rahman. They said that it was crystal clear that the arrest of the Jang Group chief was illegal, unconstitutional but despite that he continued to be under detention for over five months which was a sheer injustice.

The speakers said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were in league with each other to victimize opponents and the free media.

They said the NAB should have moved against those influential persons who were involved in huge financial scandals, including Bus Rapid Transit, Malam Jabba, Billion Tsunami Tree, and those of sugar and flour but that was not done by the anti-graft body because of its selective approach.

The speakers pointed out one such example and said the former adviser to KP chief minister, Ajmal Wazir, had been asked to quit for allegedly demanding kickbacks for releasing government advertisements but the issue was ignored. They implored the chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and provide justice to the head of the largest media group of the country. They appealed to the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who represented the free media.