Protest against arrest of Editor-in-Chief continues

PESHAWAR: Journalists demanded the release of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they continued their protest against his arrest on Wednesday.

The protesters carrying banners and placards gathered outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV and. They criticised the government for arresting the head of the Jang Group and demanded his early release.

Peshawar Press Club president Syed Bukhar Shah led the protest which is being held regularly daily to call for the release of the chief of the largest media group of the country.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Syed Bukhar Shah, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Farmanullah Jan, Nisar Mahmood, Khalid Kheshgi, Ansar Abbas, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Ihtesham Toru, Rasool Dawar, Qaiser Khan, Gohar Ali, and others.

The speakers criticised the government and the NAB for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on cooked-up charges and keeping him behind bars for the last 182 days.

They lamented that the government was taking action against the Jang Media Group and its head Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for promoting independent journalism.

The speakers said the government had failed to implement own agenda of so-called change and had instead brought miseries to the masses because of the ill-conceived policies which has led to a price spiral.

They said some powerful people who were part of the government were allegedly involved in mega corruption scandals but the NAB had never dared to move against them.

The protesters requested the apex court to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.