Pak Media Mogul, An Imran Khan Critic, Acquitted In Graft Case

A Pakistani media mogul was acquitted of graft charges Monday relating to a decades-old allegation that rights groups said threatened the country's press freedoms.

Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, whose Jang Group includes some of Pakistan's biggest newspapers as well as the Geo television network, has been a frequent critic of the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan's government as well as the country's powerful military.

He was arrested in March 2020 and held for months until bailed in November on charges alleging corruption related to a land transaction dating back to 1986.

"Not even (an) iota of evidence regarding abetting any offence by accused/petitioner Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman is available on record," a court in the eastern city of Lahore said in its ruling.

"The prosecution case lies in presumptions and assumptions."

Rehman's representatives said he had been targeted by Pakistan's corruption watchdog because his media group had been investigating the agency.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said at the time Rehman was being held on a "spurious charge" because his journalists "dare to tackle stories that are supposed to be off-limits".

Pakistan ranks among the world's most dangerous countries for media workers, and criticism of the country's powerful security establishment has long been seen as a red line.

"It's a clean acquittal which is a victory of not only Jang Group, but whole media fraternity around the globe," Rana Jawad, Geo TV's director of news, told AFP.

Geo News, which has been critical of both the government and the army, has faced several brief broadcast suspensions in recent years.

Journalists and bloggers have complained of intimidation tactics including kidnappings, beatings, and even killings if they cross that line.

In recent years the space for dissent has shrunk further, with the government announcing a crackdown on social networks and traditional media houses decrying pressure from authorities they say has resulted in widespread self-censorship.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)