Long detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman protested

PESHAWAR: The members of the journalist community on Tuesday demanded the release of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they continued the protest against his arrest.

They gathered outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV in the Khyber Super Market and staged the protest. The protesters chanted slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for employing pressure tactics against free media.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Khalid Kheshgi, Farmanullah Jan, Sabz Ali Shah, Gohar Ali, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Ihtesham Toru, Rahamdil and others. The protesters flayed the PTI government for detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on false charges and keeping him interned for the last six months. They deplored that the Jang Group head had been under detention for the last 188 days, adding he was being victimised for pursuing independent journalism through his Jang Media Group.

The protesters slammed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for its biased approach of moving against the opposition parties and gagging the independent media. They said the PTI government was using the NAB to crush the opposition and tame the independent media houses. The protesters requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.