Arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman: Jang-Geo workers’ protest touching new heights

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 Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and on the curbs on the media continued on Monday.

The countrywide protest of workers of Geo and Jang Group completed 87th day on Monday against the illegal arrest illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and chanted slogans for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Shakil-ur-Rahman and condemned the curbs on the freedom of media and also condemned the conspiracies to close down the Geo and Jang Group.

Addressing the protest outside the offices of Jang and The News at Murree Road in Rawalpindi, Speakers calls for release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Shakil-ur-Rahman and vowed to continue their protest till the release of the Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Editor The News Aamir Ghauri said the party that was formed with the Tehreek-e-Insaf failed to provide justice. “We hoped that the courts will provide justice on June 11 like the British courts,” he said.

Speakers including Secretary General PFUJ 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, Professor Saaed and other speakers calls for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

They said 87 days has been past of illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman without any charge.

They said the government is violating not only the constitution but also the human rights with keeping Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in illegal custody without any charge.

In Lahore, senior journalists, civil society leaders, office- bearers of media unions and Jang Group’s trade union continued condemning what they called NAB-Niazi connivance under which they had arrested Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a politically-motivated case for the last 89days without any progress.

They were staging demonstration outside the Jang Offices Monday at the protest camp of the 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-sixth consecutive day. They lamented that those claiming to make Pakistan a Madina-like state have incarcerated Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman even in Ramazan despite there was no progress either in investigations into the 34 years old property exchange charges against him nor any formal case registered.

They demanded immediate release of MSR and warned that PTI government could not continue its dictatorial policies to curb freedom of expression and force economic murder of media workers for long. They threatened to launch anti-government movement across the country if he was not released.

Those who joined the protest camp included Jang’s Group Editor Shaheen Qureshi, Jang Workers Union Secretary General Farooq Malik, Ishaq Shakir, Pakistan Times News Editor Zaheer Anjum, Maqsood Butt, Maqsood Awan, Sher Ali Khalti, Awais Qarni, Khizar Hayat Gondal, Aziz Sheikh, Shahid Aziz, Munawwar Hussain and others.

Shaheen Qureshi termed the PTI government fascist and the worst kind of authoritarian regime that was bent upon gagging the voice of independent media to protect its own corruption and maladministration. He warned that Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman was the first casualty in PTI government’s stifling media policy, while other owners of the media houses were the next target. He said gagging the voice of media would become an easy target for the ruling elite and establishment when few top-ranking media houses would either be closed down or badly reduced to size with a little number of employees left. He said media owners must realise that unless they empower their workers and professional journalists their own strength would be seriously curtailed, and they would become an easy prey for the establishment and ruling elite, adding that the case of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should serve as eye-opener for all media owners.

He demanded the government release the withheld Rs6 billion of media houses immediately so that media workers could be paid their salaries and dues under difficult times. He said the government had acknowledged Rs3 billion arrears so far but still not ready to release that amount despite making promises. He warned that Pakistan was already placed in the grey list regarding the freedoms in the country by the FATF.

He said the whole world know the truth that Prime Minister Imran Khan was ‘selected’ in sham elections and was now proving that he was not the representative of the masses. Zaheer Anjum said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should be released as his arrest was a move to usurp media freedom. Already the results were coming out and the arrest was leading to the crumbling of media itself after curbing freedom of expression, which was evident from the recent closure of noted news channels. He said the journalists will continue struggle for justice and release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, adding that when the journalists wage the struggle for freedom of expression they always succeeded and many dictators in the past had to bite the dust.

Maqsood Butt said fake case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should be withdrawn and he should be released. He warned that if MSR was not released then the protest would gather momentum, creating more problems for the government. He said the government instead of tackling the coronavirus and providing relief to the starving people under lockdown was busy gagging the voice of media and victimising the media owners. Sher Ali Khalti said editor-in-chief is symbol of freedom of expression and this struggle is not only for his release but also for the freedom of media in future. He warned that this campaign would continue against the puppet rulers even after his release since it was a conspiracy against the journalists and the freedom of expression. He said everybody in the country who struggled for freedom of expression was Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. He warned that if he was not released immediately, then journalists would stage protests outside the National Assembly, Punjab Assembly and all the major cities.

In Multan, the workers of Daily Jang, Geo News and The News, traders and civil society activists on Monday staged a demonstration on Nusrat Road against the arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his immediate release.

Office-bearers of the traders, including Anjuman-e-Tajran Gulshan Market general secretary Ch Salim Kamboh, Chamber of Small Traders representative Azizur Rahman Ansari, Haram Gate Anjuman-e-Tajran president Makhdoom Zahid, Anjuman-e-Tajran Usman Ghani Road president Ch Imtiaz Hassan Jatt, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Akbar, Imtiaz Rabbani, Muhammad Bilal and Rana Ahsan, visited the protest camp of the Jang Group and expressed solidarity with the workers.

Speaking on the occasion, the protestors said that the press and media situation in Pakistan had been deteriorating since the present regime had taken over the public offices. The present situation was against the Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, which allows every citizen to right to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press, they said. They alleged that the government policies were against the free press and media. The protestors demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Peshawar, the media workers continued the protest on Monday to demand the release Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The protest camp had been set up outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo in the Khyber Super Market. The workers carried banners and placards, inscribed with various slogans to highlight the demand. Slogans were chanted against the government and the National Accountability Bureau after accusing them of being in league to victimise the independent media.

The protesters vowed to continue the protest till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of cases filed against him. Arshad Aziz Malik, Resident Editor of Jang in Peshawar, senior journalist Shakil Farman Ali, Imdad Ali Qazilbash and other speakers flayed the bid to deprive people of the right to free information.

They were critical of the rulers for employing pressure tactics against the Jang Group but said with certainty that journalists would continue to report the truth.