Protest against arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continues

PESHAWAR: The media workers of the Jang, Geo and The News continued to protest against the detention of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman here on Friday.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders Attiqur Rahman, Iqbal Mohammad and others joined the protest. The protesters gathered outside the media group offices. They chanted slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Led by Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah and Khyber Union of Journalists former president Arshad Aziz Malik, the protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands.

They urged the government to release Mir Shakil and restore Geo transmission to its original position on the cable. The JI district president Attiqur Rahman condemned the government for detaining the editor-in-chief of the largest media group in a 34-year old case. He said the arrest had been made to silence the free media and deprive the people of their right to information. The JI leaders demanded the immediate release of Mir Shakil and the restoration of Geo transmission to its original position. He said the media workers were facing difficulties only because of the government’s tactics.

Syed Bukhar Shah said the media workers from all over the country were protesting against the detention of Mir Shakil. He demanded the release of Mir Shakil and restoration of Geo at its original number and also asked the government to release the withheld funds so that the group could pay salaries to its workers. He paid tributes to journalists who rendered sacrifices for the freedom of expression and an independent press. Arshad Aziz Malik said journalists would continue staging protests till the acceptance of their demands. He said the arrest of Mir Shakil had exposed the government, which, he said, was using NAB as a tool for victimisation. The rulers, he said, were using NAB against political opponents and those who did not follow their dictates.

Our correspondent adds from Multan: The journalists on Friday staged a demonstration against the arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Jang/Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The journalists along with civil society members carrying banners and placards chanted slogans for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. The protestors rejected the grounds under which the NAB had arrested Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They alleged that the case was developed on fabricated grounds. Speaking on the occasion, Jang Multan Resident Editor Zafar Aheer criticised the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and said it was a part of media curbs in the country.

He demanded the government review media policy. The News Multan bureau chief Nadeem Shah alleged that the case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had exposed the nexus between the NAB and the government. The government was claiming that the NAB was an independent organisation but not a single member from the government side condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, he added. He feared that the current measures would reduce the country’s ranking of freedom of press in the world. He demanded the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.