Ruling, opposition parties hail Mir Shakil’s acquittal

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that he was very happy on the decision of acquittal of Jang Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman from a NAB case here on Monday.

Talking to The News, the federal Information ministersaid that this was what justice was all about. “I commend Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s resolve to stand the trial and face the case instead of running abroad from judicial process,” he said.

Ch Fawad further said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had a case which proceeded following the course of law and it’s good to know that Mir-Shakil-ur-Rahman has come out clean in the process. He again lauded Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s courage to face the cases instead of running abroad like many others.

Senior PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen also welcomed the acquittal of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the court. Talking to The News, Tareen congratulated Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, saying he was happy that justice has been done in his case.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) also felicitated Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for his acquittal from the NAB case. PMLN’s senior leader and former Senator Pervaiz Rasheed said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman faced NAB with courage and finally vindicated in a bogus NAB case.

Talking to The News, he said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s innocence was proved in the court of law as well as before the people of Pakistan, while the government’s neutral accountability claims were also exposed. He said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s entire case was nothing more than an agenda of revenge and victimisation.

“I am very happy over the honorable acquittal of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman,” he said and asked as to who would be responsible for the trauma Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his family faced during the entire period? He said if the owner of the biggest media group of the country faced such a pain in the name of accountability then it was very right to question the ongoing accountability system in the country. He said time was not very far when the rulers will be questioned for this fake accountability.

PMLN Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bukhari, while talking to The News, she said that every effort was put to falsely implicate Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a baseless property case, which he faced with bravery and stood firm against the allegations. She said that NAB failed to prove anything against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and finally he was acquitted.

The PMLN Punjab information secretary said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman faced NAB with courage and presented himself before the justice system of the country. She said he was even sent to jail but he didn’t budge before the rulers.

PMLN MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt, meanwhile, tabled a resolution in the Punjab Assembly to express gratitude for the honourable acquittal of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. “The honourable acquittal of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is a victory of truth,” she said, adding that no concrete evidence could be presented in the court by NAB in this case. Hina said NAB cases were based on political engineering. Therefore, it has to face defeat in every case.

Mohajir Qaumi Movememt (MQM-Haqeeqi) head Afaq Ahmed, while talking to The News, congratulated the Jang Group’s Editor in Chief for his acquittal. He said that the decision was a welcome sign not only for an individual but for the all media workers as press freedom was of vital importance in any country. He said in past as well, Jang, Geo had faced challenging situations and the acquittal of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had also come as a positive sign for media freedom.

Former chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Syed Asif Hashmi also hailed the acquittal of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman while terming it a victory of truth and bravery. Hashmi, while talking to The News, said that the malicious agenda to tarnish the image of Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman had finally failed.

He added that both Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and his father Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman had served Pakistan whole heartedly and rendered remarkable services for the country as well fourth pillar of the state, the media.