The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday granted bail to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, owner and editor-in-chief of Jang Media Group, Pakistan's largest media group, who had been accused of unlawfully buying a property in the 1980s, media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th November, 2020) The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday granted bail to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, owner and editor-in-chief of Jang Media Group, Pakistan's largest media group, who had been accused of unlawfully buying a property in the 1980s, media reported.
The media mogul was arrested in March and has spent more than 200 days in detention since the country's National Accountability Bureau alleged that he had illegally purchased government land in Lahore's Jauhar Town in 1986. At the same time, no charges have been filed against Shakil-ur-Rahman since that time.
According to the Geo tv broadcaster, which is part of Jang Media Group, during the hearing, Rahman's lawyer told the court that the allotment of land to his client had not caused a penny's loss to the national exchequer.
The arrest of one of the most influential media figures in Pakistan triggered wide criticism among the international journalist community and human rights groups, which say that the level of press freedom in the country has significantly decreased since Prime Minister Imran Khan came to power in 2018.
According to the World Press Freedom Index for 2020 released by Reporters Without Borders, Pakistan is ranked 145 out of 180 countries, three places lower than last year.
