JournalismPakistan.com
July 12, 2020

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has urged the government to withdraw the politically motivated cases against Jang Geo group’s owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman (MSR) and probe the harassment faced by his family.                  

President PFUJ Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary-General Nasir Zaidi said in a statement that after the arrest of Rehman, his wife and children are being harassed and chased. The issue has also been highlighted by a New York-based human rights organization, which has demanded that the politically concocted and fabricated cases be dropped against MSR.                   

The media industry is under severe threat, and the situation has been created deliberately. Earlier, regulator PEMRA shut down 24 News on petty grounds, they added.

PFUJ also demanded the release of Rs6 billion, which is still pending with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as it will resolve the financial crisis faced by media houses and help against issues like non-payment of salaries and clearance of dues. 

“This situation, created by ill-conceived policies will harm relations between the government and media, ultimately hindering democracy in the country,” the statement said.