Victimisation of Editor-in-Chief condemned

PESHAWAR: The members of the journalist community condemned the victimisation of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they continued the protest against his arrest on Friday.

The protesters converged on the lawn outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV to protest the detention. Carrying banners and placards, they raised slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and in support of media freedom.

Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Ehtesham Toru, Nasreen Jabeen, Sardar Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others spoke on the occasion. They resented the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his detention for the last over six months. The speakers said the PTI government had arrested Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on cooked-up charges on March 12 and he continued to be behind bars for the last 198 days.

They said the Jang Group chief had been arrested to gag the independent media and thus send a warning to other media houses against independent reporting.

The protesters flayed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting opposition parties and free media. They deplored that the anti-graft body had not taken any action against the ruling party members who, they alleged, were involved in tainted practices.

The speakers questioned the NAB silence over wheat flour, sugar crises, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit scams. They requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.