PESHAWAR: Journalists flayed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for victimizing the Jang Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they continued the protest against his arrest on Tuesday.
Led by President of the Peshawar Press Club, Syed Bukhar Shah, the protesters converged on the lawn outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV to express anger at the vindictive actions by the rulers against the largest media group of the country and its owner. The protesters had banners and placards which were inscribed with various slogans and demanded the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Syed Bukhar Shah, Nisar Mahmood, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Farmanullah Jan, Ihtesham Toru, Gulzar Khan, Qaiser Khan, Amjad Safi, Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others spoke on the occasion. The slammed the PTI government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on dubious allegations and keeping him behind bars for almost seven months.
The speakers condemned the pressure tactics being employed against the Jang Media Group in a bid to punish this free media house. They lamented that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been interned for the last 209 days despite the fact that his incarceration had stirred anger and concerns.
The speakers came down hard on the PTI government for its anti-media policy and especially the actions against the Jang Media Group to compel this independent media house to fall in line. They criticized the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting the opposition political parties but ignoring the tainted members of the ruling party.
The speakers deplored the lack of action by the NAB over the massive scandals such as wheat flour, sugar, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit Project. They appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who had been under detention since March 12.
