Victimisation of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman condemned

PESHAWAR: The members of the journalist community on Monday condemned the victimization of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his release forthwith.

They assembled outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV to resent the arrest and long detention of the Jang Group head. Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah led the protest. The protesters carried banners and placards.

They raised slogans against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Farmanullah Jan, Shah Zaman, Ansar Abbas, Ihtesham Toru, Amjad Safi, Sardar Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Raham Dil and others spoke on the occasion.

They flayed the government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on March 12 and his incarceration since then. The speakers said the PTI government had interned the Jang Group chief on cooked-up charges and kept him under detention for the last 201 days. They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been arrested to gag the independent media. The speakers slammed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for victimizing opposition and independent media under its biased approach and working.

They deplored that the anti-graft body was not taking any action against the PTI members allegedly involved in corruption.

The speakers questioned why NAB was not moving against those involved in wheat flour, sugar crises, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit scandals. They implored the Supreme Court to Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to the head of the Jang Group.