Protesters say Chief Editor being victimised for not toeing govt line

PESHAWAR: The workers from the Jang/Geo Group on Thursday continued the protest camp against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. Chanting slogans against the government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), they demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of the cases instituted against him.

Speaking on the occasion, senior journalists including Arshad Aziz Malik, Syed Sabz Ali Shah, Shakeel Farman Ali and others said Mir Shakil was being victimised for not toeing government line. They said this was why he had been detained for the last 88 days in a 34 years old property case which had nothing to do with the government. The speakers said the government could not prove a single case against him up till now. Terming the arrest an attack on the independent press, they recalled that the release of government advertisements had been stopped to his major media group and later the number of Geo transmission was changed in bid to cut its viewership. The speakers said such tactics had been used in the past as well but the media workers and owners braved all the odds.

They hoped the so-called champions of change and reforms, would not be able to pressurise Jang, Geo and The News. The speakers said the anti-media policies of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had created problems for the workers, who were not being paid salaries regularly.

They appealed to the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the situation and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. The media workers resolved to continue the protest till the acceptance of their demands which included the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of cases against him.