LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday extended the judicial remand of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a 34-year old private property matter till June 15.
Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan conducted the case proceedings and adjourned the matter after a brief hearing. National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Asim Mumtaz and defence counsel Chaudhry Aurangzaib were present in the courtroom, however, the jail authorities did not produce Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman before the court due to Covid-19 protocol.
Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was taken into custody following his appearance in the anti-corruption watchdog’s office in Lahore on March 12. Meanwhile, senior journalists, civil society leaders, office-bearers of media unions and trade union bodies continued condemning what they called the NAB-Niazi nexus under which they had arrested Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a politically-motivated case for the last 81 days.
Journalists in Lahore staged a protest outside the Jang offices on Sunday at the protest camp of Jang, Geo and The News employees set up on the call of Joint Action Committee and Jang Employees Union for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
They held a demo despite the drizzle and shouted slogans against the government. They demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and threatened to launch anti-government movement across the country if he was not released.
Those who joined the protest camp included Jang’s Group Editor Shaheen Qureshi, Jang Workers Union Secretary General Farooq Malik, civil society leader Abdullah Malik, Comrade Zawwar Hussain Bukhari, Zaheer Anjum, Maqsood Butt, Sher Ali Khalti, Maulana Muhammad Asim, Awais Qarni, Khizar Hayat Gondal, Naseem Qureshi, Aziz Sheikh, Shahid Aziz and Munawwar Hussain.MPA Ali Haidar Gilani also visited the protest camp and demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
In Peshawar, the workers of Jang-Geo Group continued protest against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Sunday. Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, the protesters urged the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdraw cases against him. The protesters chanted slogans against the government and the NAB for victimising opponents and suppressing voice of the independent media.