Protest against arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continues

PESHAWAR: The members of the media community on Friday continued the protest against the arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, and called for his release without further delay.

Carrying banners, they converged on the Khyber Super Market, outside the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV offices. A senior journalist and the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) President Syed Bukhar Shah led the protest. The protesters criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for incarcerating Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for over five months and pursuing an anti-media policy. Those who spoke on the occasion included PPC President Syed Bukhar Shah, Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Gulzar Khan and others. The speakers slammed the PTI government for detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 177 days on cooked-up charges. They said the PTI government had a fascist approach to political rivals and was targeting the media houses for promoting objective journalism. The speakers pointed out the Jang Media Group and its head Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman were the target of the PTI government as they had refused to go pliant. They said the PTI government had failed to deliver and provide any relief to the masses but had turned to coercive measures against opponents and free media to deflect the attention of the people. The speakers flayed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and said it was highly biased in working, adding Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest in a property case proved that point beyond any doubt.

They dared the anti-corruption watchdog to move against those in the ruling party who were allegedly involved in massive graft scandals. The protesters implored the Supreme Court of Pakistan to intervene in the matter and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.