PESHAWAR: Media workers of the Jang Group continued on Monday the protest against the illegal arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
The office-bearers of Secretariat Coordination Council comprising five associations of government employees and Director Asia RSF Iqbal Khattak visited the camp to express solidarity with the Jang Group. Led by Imdad Ali Qazalbash, the protesters carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands and against the government for arresting the editor-in-chief in a property case that had been decided over three decades ago,
Speaking on the occasion, the central chairman All Pakistan Clerks Association Aslam Khan criticized the government and termed the arrest of Mir Shakil an attack on the press freedom.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced his intention much before against the Jang Group editor arrest. The central and provincial leaders of the clerks association termed the arrest of Mir Shakil victimisation of the media and asked the government to release the editor of the major media group and withdraw cases against him.
Iqbal Khattak observed that such illegal actions against media and journalists had become a threat to democracy and independent press. He said the existence of the independent press was imperative for democracy but the so-called champions of reforms and change were not ready to accept independent press.
The employees association’s central chairman Mohammad Aslam Khan, secretary coordination council Tariq Hussain, president Class-IV Association Jabir Hussain Bangash, and general secretary KP Kibran Aslam Khan in their separate speeches praised Jang Media Group for highlighting the truth and raising voice for the common people but said the irresponsible rulers wanted to suppress the voice of the independent press and opposition.
They said such efforts had been made in the past too but could not suppress the voice of media and the Jang Group.
They extended support to the media workers and the Jang Group and urged the government to release Mir Shakil and withdraw cases against him.