Justice should be seen done in Editor-in-Chief case: Fawad

LONDON: The Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that a free trial is the right of Geo and Jang Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and justice should be seen to be done in his case.

The federal minister was speaking to the Overseas Pakistani Journalists Action Committee (OPJAC) in a virtual meeting arranged by Convener Azhar Javaid and senior journalist Farid Qureshi. Journalists from the UK and Europe attended the briefing by Fawad Chaudhry. When asked questions about the continuing detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for over two months after being arrested illegally by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Fawad Chaudhry said that “Justice should not be just done but should be seen to be done” in the case of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who is in detention in a 34 years old private land purchase case and whose detention has attracted international outcry.

Fawad Chaudhry commended Jang and Geo media houses for a tremendously, positive, powerful and historic role in the service of Pakistan.

Fawad Chaudhry said that Jang Group’s contribution for Pakistan stretches over 70 years. "Starting from Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman to MSR to Mir Ibrahim Rehman, they have played a major role. Such groups don’t come into being overnight and have a strong history. A free trial is a fundamental right of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Nobody should be spared investigation or trial because of his weight and worth but at the same time, justice should be seen to be done. I hope MSR gets a free trial and all pre-requisites of the trial are met.”

Fawad Chaudhry fully supported the call by Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special assistants and advisers to declare their assets, nationalities, and conflict of interests in Pakistan and abroad. Ghulam Sarwar Khan told journalist Adil Shahzeb in an interview that there were aliens sitting in the cabinet of PM Imran Khan and their origins and realities were not known.

Fawad Chaudhry told British Pakistani journalists: “I agree with Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Special Assistants to Prime Ministers (SAPMs) and advisers should declare their assets and interests. Only elected representatives should be able to make a decision, not advisers and assistants. This is a legal requirement. This is what Imran Khan asked for when he was in opposition and asked PTI leaders to make declarations.”

The federal minister said, "Expert opinions should be part of the government and the concept and role of advisers and special assistants is important but they should not make decisions because they are not answerable to electorates and have nothing to lose or gain at the ballot box. Elected representatives declare their assets and get held accountable by the media and the law.”

Fawad Chaudhry said that Firdous Ashiq Awan gained the Information Advisory through lobbying but she failed to deliver and could not come up to the expectation. However, Fawad regretted that some sections of media targeted Awan and linked her with corruption and misuse of power. He said she should not have been maligned in media in relation to allegations of corruption. “I don’t want to talk about her anymore because she’s not there anymore.”

Fawad Chaudhry said that those fanning sectarianism serve foreign interests and their funding comes from abroad.

Fawad Chaudhry assured the journalists present that merit would be applied in Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman's case. International media organisations including Time Magazine has termed Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman's arrest as one of the top ten threats to press freedom across the world.

Earlier, Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General of Reporters without Borders wrote to Prime Minister Imran Khan about the diminishing media freedoms in Pakistan which included the curbs placed on Geo News.

The other day, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar expected justice to prevail in Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman’s case who is under the National Accountability Bureau's illegal custody since over 60 days in a private property matter purchase cooked-up case which is almost four decades old.

In a briefing arranged by the OPJAC, Chaudhry Sarwar addressed over 25 journalists working from London belonging to various media houses saying: “The government has no control on NAB. They are arresting people from our government, the media, and the opposition. If people think there are excessive powers with NAB then a discussion can be done regarding this subject. No person should be victimised, the law should be equal for all."

Senior journalist Khalid Hameed Farouqi mentioned how the international media was raising a hue and cry over diminishing media freedoms in Pakistan.

Earlier, Pakistan fell 3 spots in the World's Press freedom Index from 142 to 145. Khalid Hameed Farouqi mentioned how the censorship and different forms of coercion by the media were bringing a bad name to Pakistan in the international realm and how other government's including Belgium's, Germany's, and Luxembourg's government had condemned Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman's unlawful arrest.

Governor Sarwar, who himself is an avid reader of international publications responded: "I always watch whatever is happening in the international media but I want to say that for us Pakistan's interest is prime. Please have faith; this issue will be resolved in a subtle way. Merit will be applied."