Arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman: Jang-Geo workers remain steadfast in protest

RAWALPINDI: The countrywide protest of the workers of Geo and Jang Group along with the Pakistan Federal Unions of Journalists, representatives of the civil society and political parties against the illegal arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and curbs on the media continued on Saturday.

The countrywide protest of workers of Geo and Jang Group entered 85th day on Thursday against the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they chanted slogans holding placards for his release and condemned curbs on the freedom of media and also condemned the conspiracies to close down the Geo and Jang Group.

During the protest, Imam of mosque of Jang and The News offices Qari Muhammad Jameel offered prayer for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Addressing the protest outside the offices of Jang and The News at Murree Road in Rawalpindi, the speakers called for release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and vowed to continue their protest till his release.

The speakers including Secretary General Pakistan Federal Unions of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Chairman Joint Action Committee of workers of Geo and Jang Group Islamabad and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chisti, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Magazine Editor Jang Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Amjad Abbasi, Munir Shah, Malik Nusrat, Abbbas Alam, Azhar Sultan, Zafar Bhatti and other speakers while addressing the protesters, said the Geo and Jang Group always faced the victimisation on bringing the truth before the people of Pakistan.

They called for the release of the Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Lahore, aenior journalists, civil society leaders, office-bearers of media and trade union bodies continued their protest against illegal detention of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 87 days. They termed the arrest the outcome of “NAB-Niazi connivance” in a politically motivated case. They staged a demonstration outside the Jang offices on Saturday at the protest camp of workers of Jang, Geo and The News employees, set up on the call of Joint Action Committee and Jang Employees Union for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the fifty-fourth consecutive day.

They continued the protest demonstration despite drizzle and raised slogans against the PTI government. They expressed sorrow that those claiming to make Pakistan a Madina-like state had incarcerated Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman even in the holy month of Ramazan. They regretted that there was no progress either in investigations into the 35-year-old property exchange issue nor any formal case was registered so far.

Those who participated in the protest camp included Shaheen Qureshi, Group Editor Jang Group, Secretary General of Jang Works Union Farooq Malik, Ishaq Shakir, senior journalist and news editor of Pakistan Times, Zaheer Anjum, Maqsood Butt, Sher Ali Khalti, Amer Malik, Awais Qarni, Khizr Hayat Gondal, Aziz Sheikh, Shahid Aziz, Munawwar Hussain and office-bearers of the Jang Employees Union and others.