Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief’s remand extended

LAHORE: An accountability court on Saturday extended the physical remand of Jang-Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman (MSR) for 10 days in a private property case.

The veteran journalist had appeared before the accountability court after his earlier remand expired. During the hearing, the special prosecutor for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested the court to extend MSR’s remand by 15 days.

As MSR’s counsel, Amjad Pervez, received a copy of the remand extension request on short notice, the court briefly adjourned the hearing to allow him to prepare. After the hearing resumed, the NAB prosecutor told the court the accountability bureau had summoned different records concerning MSR. “There are certain SOPs regarding procuring documents from government departments,” he said. “As we keep getting the documents, we will keep proceeding with the investigation.” “We have requested some more documents from LDA,” he added.

To this, MSR’s counsel reminded the court that international media was following what was happening to the senior-most editor of Pakistan’s largest media group.

He firmly opposed NAB’s request to extend his client’s physical remand. “NAB is wasting the court’s time. MSR has met all NAB officers till now and the investigation is complete,” he argued.

“All his [MSR’s] records have been with the investigating officer from day one,” the counsel told the court. “At this stage, NAB does not need to extend his physical remand,” he insisted.

“The accountability bureau is making excuses about the lockdown to mislead the court,” the counsel said. “MSR has cooperated with NAB with whatever they have asked.”

“People do not normally turn up at NAB after receiving a call-up notice, but Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman did. The [Jang-Geo Media Group] has never run anything against the court.”

“If something like that were to happen, I would be the first to surrender to the court,” the counsel said. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court initially reserved its judgment before granting the NAB 10 more days of custody.

MSR was arrested by the NAB on March 12 on trumped-up charges relating to property purchased more than three decades ago.