Journalists seek release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

PESHAWAR: The members of the journalist community sought the release of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, forthwith as they continued the protest against his arrest on Thursday. The protesters gathered outside the offices of the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV at the Khyber Super Market to highlight their demands. They were holding banners and placards which had been inscribed with slogans and demands. The protesters sought the release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the head of the largest media group of the country, who had been behind bars since March 12.

Those who addressed the protesters were Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Shah Zaman, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Qaisar Khan, Gulzar Khan and others. The speakers came down hard on the government for victimizing Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in reaction to the independent policy of the Jang Media Group which he had been heading since long. The protesters said the Jang Group was being punished for promoting independent journalism and giving a voice to the oppressed sections of the society in this suffocating environment.

They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest was illegal, unconstitutional and a brazen attack on the independent media. The speakers were critical of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB. They said both had joined hands to target the largest media group of Pakistan. The protesters said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the NAB in a 34-year-old property case was not the correct decision. They said the PTI government had launched a crackdown on the free media which had hurt the media houses and a large number of journalists. The speakers said the government should have made accountable those involved in the mega corruption scandals but it was instead victimizing the free media to force them it to toe the official line.

They implored the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide relief to the owner of the largest media group of the country.