Protest continues against arrest of Editor-in-Chief

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

The protesters were carrying banners and placards as they gathered outside the offices of the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV in the Khyber Super Market. A senior journalist and Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah led the protest. The protesters chanted slogans against the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his release forthwith. Syed Bukhar Shah, Arshad Aziz Malik, Ehtesham Toru, Qaisar Khan, Shakeel Farman Ali, Amjad Safi, Ansar Abbas, Gohar Ali and others spoke on the occasion. They flayed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for targeting the Jang Media Group and its chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. The speakers deplored that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been behind bars for the last 229 days in the case which had cooked-up charges. They said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was biased, adding it was victimizing the opposition political parties and the free media to bring them under pressure allegedly to appease the rulers. The speakers criticized the NAB for ignoring the massive corruption scandals such as wheat flour, sugar, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit Project as the PTI members were allegedly involved in these tainted practices. The protesters requested the highest court of the country to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who had been under detention since March 12 of this year.