JournalismPakistan.com | Published March 13, 2020
Join our WhatsApp channel
LAHORE—A court on Friday allowed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the owner of the country’s largest media group on allegations of graft dating back three decades, a move that rights groups said was aimed at stifling press freedom.
Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, the owner and editor-in-chief of Jang Media Group, publisher of Urdu and English newspapers and which runs the popular Geo News TV, was arrested on Thursday by the anti-graft body.
NAB, which accused him of obtaining illegal property concessions from a previous government in 1986, presented Rehman to an anti-corruption court, which said he could be held in custody and investigated for 12 days, his lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said his arrest was an attack on press freedom.
Jang media group said the case was trumped up and being used as an attempt to silence Rehman and his company because of its reporting that was critical of the government and NAB.
The group said in a statement that the anti-corruption body had sent “our reporters, producers and editors—directly or indirectly—over a dozen notices” threatening to shut down the Geo News TV channel because of its reporting.
Pakistan’s opposition parties have long accused NAB of being used as a political tool by the government and the powerful military to quash critics.
NAB, the government, and the military deny the accusation, saying the body acts independently in line with the law.
“It is regretful to connect an inquiry against a businessman with freedom of press,” Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s relations with the press and broadcasters have become increasingly strained since he took office after an election in 2018.
Opponents say Khan secured office with the help of a crackdown on the media and his opponents by the military, which has a history of involvement in Pakistani politics, including staging coups to oust civilian governments.
Activists say a crackdown on the media since 2018 has left 3,000 journalists and other media workers jobless.
The prime minister and the military, who deny any collusion, have long accused Jang media group of siding with Khan’s main rival, former two-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Murtaza Solangi, a senior journalist who says he lost his job in the crackdown, described Rehman’s arrest as an act of “fascist thuggery.”
“We have been under immense pressure for a very long time for taking a stance of an independent media and questioning various actions of the government and NAB,” Geo News President Imran Aslam told Reuters.
Geo News has been taken off air several times in recent years at the order of the state-run media regulator or because of what it says is government pressure on cable operators. It said on Friday it was being forced to shut down again.—Reuters
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.