Irfan Qadir, Mufti Muneeb demand early release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

ISLAMABAD: Eminent jurist and former Attorney General Irfan Qadir has maintained that the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the editor-in-chief of the Jang/Geo media group, has taken place in sheer violation of law. The chairman NAB issued the arrest warrant without going through the relevant material and proper application of mind.

 

While talking to The News on Thursday evening, he reminded that in this case, the commencement of trial is no way in sight andMir Shakil-ur-Rahman is behind bars for over a month now. 

The National Accountability Ordnance of 1999 provides that the trial must be concluded within one month, which clearly implies that prolonged incarceration is against the spirit of the said ordinance. Irfan Qadir, who has contested several high profile cases, said that it is extremely unfortunate that Mir Sahib has been in solitary confinement for over a month which in itself is a violation of NAB’s own arrest policy according to which an accused is to be arrested in exceptional circumstances, especially when he evades joining investigation which is not the case here.

 He recalled that in October 2019, NAB itself issued guidelines that envisaged that no businessmen shall be summoned let alone arrested until two letters have been sent to the accused informing him that his reply was unsatisfactory. In this case, the arrest was made during complaint verification stage. It is extremely disappointing to note that the complainant was interviewed after the arrest, Irfan Qadir added.

Irfan Qadir said that Mir Shakil has been cooperating with the authorities about the case which is related to a 34-year-old property transaction between two private parties. He presented himself twice before the investigators and presented the replies and available documents. 

That not only the arrest of Mir Shakil in the circumstances of this case is highly unjust and uncalled for, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever not to release him from the National Accountability lock-up, particularly at a time when the global coronavirus pandemic is leading governments to set free non-violent prisoners with no criminal record, particularly if they are elderly and have health issues as Rahman does,” Irfan Qadir said.

Our correspondent adds from Karachi: The president Tanzeemul Madaras Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman has said the Jang/Geo Group’s Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is one of the senior-most journalists in the country and termed the Daily Jang and Geo News as media icons.

Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman said the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were being disparaged over the issue of arbitrary arrest of the Jang/Geo Group’s Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on national and international stages. He said Mir Shakil did not have any public office or government post to take illegal advantage or to abuse power, adding that Council of Islamic Ideology Pakistan had already declared that some of the NAB’s laws were against the spirit of the Islamic justice system.

Muneeb said now it was the constitutional obligation of the parliament to amend the NAB law, adding that according to the Islamic and world laws, it was illegal to detain or sentence before being trailed or declared guilty. He said the Supreme Court of Pakistan had repeatedly remarked on the law of plea bargain, and said it was to make corruption legal, while the chairman NAB had also said businessman would not arbitrarily be arrested and if required to be questioned, would be asked to come.

Mufti Muneeb said Mir Shakil is also one the renowned businessmen, then why should not he be given immunity, which is due to businessman community, adding that depriving him of getting provisional immunity was not accountability but vengeance. He said in the recent years, some of the NAB’s actions damaged its credibility and to ratify its decision to make the national institution more credible was in the government’s favour. Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman demanded the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman immediately as he is an aged man and seriously ill. He said Mir Shakil has the right to get immunity on humanitarian grounds, especially during the recent outbreak of coronavirus.