Shadow Defence Minister of UK says MSR’s detention draconian and abuse of power

LONDON: Britain’s Shadow Defence Minister and Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Bar Khalid Mahmood called on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to immediately release Geo and Jang Group’s Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who is in the National Accountability Bureau’s custody in a 34-year-old private property case.

Mahmood, who was appointed Shadow Defence Minister (Procurement) by new Labour Leader Keir Starmer two weeks ago, has written a letter to PM Imran stating that the case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman seemed to be malicious.

Mahmood wrote: “From the information that I have received Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s case is exceptional and malicious since he was arrested at the investigative stage in an alleged crime dating back to a thirty-four-year-old case where no illegality or wrongdoing has been proven against him at any forum with no evidence being submitted against him," he said.

"It also indicates draconian tactics are being used to pursue the allegations by any means necessary resulting in the incarceration of innocent journalists in Pakistan,” Mahmood said.

The Labour MP drew PM Imran's attention to the shutdown of Geo News in several parts of Pakistan and fiddling with its cable number soon after the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-rahman and said it raised questions. He wrote:

“The tampering of Geo numbers on cable and shutting [it] down [in] some parts of Pakistan has also been observed in the past few days. Media is required for accountability and it is the media’s right to ask tough and probing questions. A strong press is a guarantor of democracy and liberties and without accountability and freedom of the press, there cannot be any development.”

The Labour MP said that a number of Pakistani diaspora constituents from his Birmingham Perry Barr had approached his office and expressed their grave concerns regarding the arrest of the Editor-in-Chief of the Jang Geo Media Group by NAB.

The oldest serving Pakistani origin and ethnic Labour MP stressed the need for free media in Pakistan, linking it with the progress of the country.

Mahmood wrote: “As the constituency MP for these concerned constituents, it is apparent, this increasing use of arbitrary abuse of power cannot be solved by using underhanded tactics, rather by putting boundaries in place and demanding accountability as the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy.”

“I do not as a practice interfere in other nations' sovereign issues. My concerns, in this case, are in relation to human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law which I have advocated since I became a Member of Parliament and prior to that. Therefore, I urge the Pakistani Government for the immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and for him to be returned to his loved ones.” the Shadow Defence Minister added.

Mahmood was elected as the MP for Birmingham Perry Barr in the 2001 general election, becoming the first Muslim MP in England. He has won every election after that. He was appointed as Shadow Europe Minister in October 2016. He has also served the Chairman of the All-Party Group on Tackling Terrorism and is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Relations.