Police officers escort Mir Shakil-ur Rehman to an anti-corruption court in Lahore. File / AP

Gulf Today Report

An accountability court on Monday acquitted Mir Shakil-ur Rehman, the owner and editor-in-chief of the Pakistan’s largest independent group of newspapers and television stations, in a 35-year-old case related to allegations of tax evasion in a real estate purchase.

Rehman was arrested in 2020 after authorities accused him of purchasing government land more than three decades ago in violation of rules.

Rehman, who has denied the charge, was acquitted by the court on Monday, according to Rana Jawad, a senior official at Rehman's Geo News TV station.

During the previous hearing, Rehman’s counsel, Amjad Perviz, had submitted an application with the court under Section 265-k seeking his client’s acquittal.

He pleaded with the court to acquit his client as there was nothing in the evidence presented against him.

At the outset of Monday's hearing, the accountability court judge acquitted Mir Shakil-ur Rehman and all the other suspects nominated in the case. The court further issued an order to release all seized properties of Rehman.

It is pertinent to mention here that in November 2020 Supreme Court had granted bail to Reman who stayed in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for eight months.

Rehman’s Jang Group of Newspapers, which includes Geo TV, has been critical of the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Rehman was granted bail by a court last year.