Lawyers, traders join journalists protest for Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s release

PESHAWAR: The lawyers and business community extended support to the media workers from the Jang, Geo and The News International and staged a joint protest against the illegal detention of the Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and disruption of the Geo transmissions.

Led by the Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah and former president of the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) Arshad Aziz Malik, the protesters were carrying banners and placards.

They chanted slogans and urged the government to release forthwith Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and restore Geo to its original numbers. Speaking on the occasion, Peshawar High Court Bar Association President and senior lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and changing Geo positions on the cable network.

He said the action had been taken to punish the editor-in-chief of the major media group only for highlighting the truth. The senior lawyer recalled that the rulers had tried in the past too to pressurize the media to toe the government line but they did not succeed.

Abdul Latif Afridi said the lawyers would extend all support to media workers in this just struggle. He ridiculed the government for taking action against a person who had purchased the property about 34 years ago. The senior lawyer hoped Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman would be released soon by the courts because legal procedures were not adopted for his arrest.

The trader association head, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, also criticised the government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and changing Geo position only to pressure the media group. He assured the media workers of traders’ support and said they were with them in the protest movement.

The trade leader said the government was using NAB against its opponents and the media, which did not follow the government’s orders. PPC President Syed Bukhar Shah said the journalists and media workers throughout the country were demanding the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and uninterrupted transmission of Geo. He said the media workers would not accept illegal decisions of the government and continue the movement till the release of editor-in-chief of the Jang Group.

The PPC chief said the leaders of various political parties would join them today (Friday). Arshad Aziz Malik criticised the government for punishing the media group only for reporting the truth. He demanded the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.