Media crackdown in Pakistan: Jang, Geo Editor-in-Chief arrested by government in fake case

National Accountability Bureau on Thursday arrested the Editor-in-Chief of Jang Media Group in connection with property allegedly bought illegally from a government entity more than 34 years ago.

The property was in fact bought from a private party 34 years ago and all evidence of this was given to NAB  and legal requirements fulfilled, such as duty and taxes.

According to the Group's spokesperson, today was a call-up notice for the verification of the complaint, yet an arrest was made. Islamabad High Court's recent judgment against NAB's violation of the country’s law and a violation of NAB's own rules has been committed.

"In the past 18 months, NAB has sent our reporters, producers, and editors — directly and indirectly — over a dozen notices, threatening a shutdown of our channels (via PEMRA) due to our reporting and our programmes on NAB," said the spokesperson.

"In its defense, NAB has in writing said it is a constitutionally protected institution that cannot be criticised. NAB has also, through several means, tried to persuade the group to step back, to stop stories, among other  measures in its favor at the expense of the full truth. 

"The  Group will not stop any reporters, producers or anchors from any story that is on merit and at the same time will include NAB’s version. In this case, NAB denies all allegations above and claims they are independently pursuing all cases and have not been asked to do by the democratically elected government in Islamabad," the spokesperson added.

Background

All major allegations — whether 34 years old or recent — against Jang Group have been proven false in the court of law whether in the most prestigious UK court or honorable Pakistan courts, including taking illegal funds from foreign entities, taking funds for political patronage, traitorhood, blasphemy, and tax-related allegations, etc.

Jang Group’s newspapers, channels, reporters, editors, and anchors have experienced shutdowns, been shot at, killed, banned, boycotted, but the Group is still standing and it's efforts to pursue the truth remain, said the spokesperson.

According to the spokesperson, the NAB complainant is a person working for a fake degree company who has a media entity that has been internationally exposed time and again. Jang Group has already won a defamation case against this complaint in a previous case and is in engaged in several other criminal defamation cases for which he is being prosecuted.

"InshaAllah we will win these cases as well," the spokesperson concluded by saying.