Demand to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman renewed

PESHAWAR: Journalists renewed the demand for releasing the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they continued the protest against his arrest on Tuesday.

They gathered outside the offices of the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV to register protest at the long detention.

A senior journalist and Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah led the protest.The protesters chanted slogans to condemn the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and sought his release forthwith.Those who spoke on the occasion included Syed Bukhar Shah, Arshad Aziz Malik, Ehtesham Toru, Famanullah Jan, Sabz Ali Shah, Qaiser Khan, Amjad Safi, Rasool Dawar and others.

They slammed the government for pressurising the Jang Media Group and its chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to force them to turn the press coverage in favour of the government.The speakers deplored that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been under detention for the last 223 days in an old case.

They said the National Accountability Bureau was going after the opposition parties and the independent media to appease the PTI government.

The speakers criticised the NAB for not taking notice of the huge corruption scandals such as wheat flour, sugar, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit Project as the government figures were involved in these practices.

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