Journalists vow to continue hunger strike till release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/LAHORE: The representatives of eight million traders of the country announced their solidarity and stood with the media in their fight for the cause of the freedom of expression.

The workers of Geo, Jang and The News on Sunday continued the hunger strike camp on the call of the Joint Action Committee on third consecutive on Sunday for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman outside the offices of the Geo News in Islamabad.

Senior Reporter of Jang Ayub Nasir, ex-secretary general Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists Bilal Dar and senior correspondent The News Fakhar Durrani sat on hunger strike camp on Sunday.

President All Pakistan Traders Association Ajmal Baloch said the media should be free and no restriction on the media could be accepted. He said the media represents the society and rather than breaking the mirror there was a need to correct the weaknesses. He said rather than putting the journalists into jail, the government should focus on controlling the coronavirus pandemic. “Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should be released as eight million traders stand with the media for the freedom of media,” he said.

President All Pakistan Markzai Tanzeem of Traders Kashif Chaudhry said the fake and fabricated cases against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should be ended and he should be released. “Being a representative of the traders, I condemn the arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and warn that if he was not released then all the traders of the country will join the movement for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman,” he said. Kashif Chaudhry said the government instead of tackling the coronavirus was busy in controlling the voice of media.

Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi said the journalists associations always struggle for justice to the journalists and will continue to do it.

“When the journalists starat any struggle then it always succeeds,” he said.

Ex-president PFUJ Afzal Butt said that the arrest of the Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group was not only a conspiracy against the Geo and Jang Group but also first step to mute all the voices of the media. He said the journalists with staging hunger strikes have proved that they will win this battle also as they even achieved success in the past against the dictators.

Secretary General RIUJ Asif Ali Bhatti said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman never compromised on the media freedom.

Senior Reporter of Jang Ayub Nasir said though one month passed of the arrest of the Editor-in-Chief, but the rulers not succeed to bring him under pressure.

Senior Photo Journalist Jehangir Chaudhry said the journalists always struggle against the dictators but never bow down before them.

Chairman Joint Action Committee and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chishti said that this struggle is not only for the release of Editor-in-Chief, but also for the freedom of media. “The arrest of the Editor-in-Chief is a conspiracy against the workers of the Geo and Jang Group,” he said.

Senior correspondent The News Asim Yasin said the hunger strike will continue till the release of the Editor-in-Chief.

Investigative Reporter Fakhar Durrani said the voice of free media which was doing its job to bring the facts was being muted.

Ex-secretary general RIUJ Bilal Dar said the government rather than fighting against coronavirus was busy in muting the voice of media.

President Economic Journalists Forum Azhar Jatoi said no restrictions on the media could be tolerated.

Senior reporter of Jang Tanveer Hashmi said the rulers cant face the truth.

Amjad Ali Abbasi of Jang said that the government has failed to bring Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman under pressure.

Chairman Blue Area Traders Association Mubashar Naddem said the traders stand with Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his early release.

In Lahore, members of civil society organisations, Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) and lawyers continued visiting the Jang Group employees hunger strike camp, set up outside the Jang building on Davis Road in protest against the arrest of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) demanded release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. PUJ stands with freedom of media and freedom of expression, said Qamar Bhatti, president of PUJ. Arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is illegal and attack on freedom of media. Journalism cannot be done without freedom of media, he said. Media plays the role of watchdog. Our journalists faced Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf. We are facing Imran Khan who is selected and trying to curb media. He said the whole world said Imran Khan was selected and he has proven it by his action, said Qamar Bhatti. He demanded early release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and said case against him must be quashed.

Shaheen Qureshi, Group Editor Jang Group, demanded the government pay Rs6 billion arrears of media within no time so that media workers be paid their salaries in difficult time. According to him, the government had acknowledged Rs3 billion and that was not paid. Additionally he said that Pakistan was placed in grey list. Question about the freedom of expression is one out of the 13 questions that would be asked by FATF. He demanded the government ensure freedom of expression. He said arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is unjust, release him within no time.

Abdullah Malik, an advocate and member of civil society organisation, said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is voice of suppressed people and voice of democracy. He cannot be silenced. He always stands with bravery. Detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is conspiracy against freedom of media and freedom of expression. Imran Sheikh, member of governing body, also addressed on the occasion. Ahmed Faraz, Zahid Sherwani, Sher Ali Khalti, Javed Hashmi and others were present on the occasion. The slogans were raised in the hunger strike camp.

In Peshawar, the media workers of the Jang, Geo and The News continued the protest camp against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the 7th consecutive day on Sunday.

The local leaders of the various political parties turned up at the camp to express solidarity with the journalists who had gathered outside the offices of the Jang, Geo and The News at the Khyber Super Market. Among those who joined the protest camp were the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Arbab Khizer Hayat and Qaumi Watan Party KP chapter vice-chairman Tariq Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Arbab Khizer Hayat said the Jang Group always reported the truth. He said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was meant to suppress the independent media. Arbab Khizer Hayat came down hard on the government for using all pressure tactics to subdue the press and said his party stood by the Jang Media Group in these difficult times. The PML-N leader paid tributes to the Jang Group for its contributions to the promotion of democracy. He demanded an immediate release of release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Tariq Khan of the QWP, too, criticized the government for employing pressure tactics against the free media. He said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for writing and reporting the truth but the rulers would not be able to pressure him as he represented the free media, "he added. The QWP leader asked the government to free the editor-in-chief of the Jang Media Group.