Protest continues against arrest of Editor-in-Chief

PESHAWAR: The members of the journalist community on Monday continued the protest against the arrest of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The protesters gathered outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV and condemned the arrest. President of the Peshawar Press Club, Syed Bukhar Shah, led the protesters who were holding banners and placards and raised slogans against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Among the speakers were Syed Bukhar Shah, Nisar Mahmood, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Farmanullah Jan, Ihtesham Toru, Gulzar Khan, Qaiser Khan, Amjad Safi, Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others.

The protesters flayed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on false charges on March 12 and keeping him interned since then. They lamented the cheap pressure tactics against the Jang Media Group to gag independent journalism.

The speakers said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been behind bars for the last 208 days which had triggered concerns.

They flayed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for following a hostile media policy and said actions against the Jang Media Group clearly showed the arm-twisting by the rulers to force independent journalists into submission.

The speakers were critical of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting

only the opposition and giving a free hand to the allegedly corrupt elements in the government.

They asked why the National Accountability Bureau was not taking any action against those involved in wheat flour, sugar, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit scandals. The protesters implored the apex court of the country to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.