Jang Group workers continue protest against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest

PESHAWAR: The Jang Group workers on Tuesday continued protest against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, Raham Bacha Sherpao, Anwar Khan, representative of All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) Masood Khan and others visited the camp to express solidarity with media workers.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, the protesters demanded release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of the fake case against him.

Speaking on the occasion, Khwaja Mohammad Hoti condemned the arrest of Mir Shakeel-ur-Rahman in a 34-year old private property case and said it was aimed at pressuring the major media group. He demanded his immediate release.

He said the rulers were living in a fool’s paradise to think they could pressure the media, the journalists and the opposition through such tactics.

The government, he said, had adopted silence over the mega corruption scandals, including the sugar and flour crises, the Malam Jaba land scam, the Bus Rapid Transit and the Billion Tree Tsunami projects as the ruling party people were involved in these scandals.

Appreciating the Jang Group for highlighting the truth, he noted that it never compromised on principles.

He said the government would have to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as he was innocent.

Khwaja Hoti, who is a former federal and provincial minister, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan reshuffled the federal cabinet, but avoided taking action against the ministers involved in the sugar and flour crises.

He alleged that the prime minister was equally responsible for the sugar and flour crises.

The PPP leader said the entire world was taking measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but the prime minister was targetting the opposition on trumped-up charges of corruption.

He said instead of taking action to limit the transmission of the Covid-19, the prime minister was constantly changing his statements and this irresponsible attitude was causing the spread of coronavirus.

Raham Bacha Sherpao, Masood Khan and journalist Arshad Aziz Malik in their separate speeches condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded the government to release him forthwith.