Protest against Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief’s arrest continues

LAHORE: A large number of media workers staged a demonstration at Davis Road on Sunday to register their protest against the unlawful arrest of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The participants in the demonstration outside the Jang/Geo offices chanted slogans for the press freedom and censured the NAB-Niazi nexus.

Main participants in the demonstration included senior journalists Shaheen Qureshi, Shahid Sheikh, Zaheer Anjum, Mohammad Wajid, Aziz Sheikh, Khizar Hayat Gondal, Akmal Bhatti, Munawar Hussain and other workers associated with Jang and Geo. Speakers in their address said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was fighting a war for the freedom of press and he had refused to surrender before the fascist government.

They said the Editor-in-Chief had been in detention for the last 93 days without any crime, whereas no FIR had been registered against him. The speakers criticised NAB and said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman stands vindicated of all charges.

The speakers appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the illegal detention and order release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Peshawar, the workers of Jang/Geo Group continued protest against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman here on Sunday.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands, the protesters vowed to expand their movement if their genuine demands were not met. Chanting slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a 34-year old property case, they demanded his immediate and withdrawal of cases against him.

The illegal detention of Mir Shakil has created unrest among the workers, who have appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the situation and provide them justice. Terming arrest of Mir Shakil an attack on the press freedom, the protesting workers maintained that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government would not be able to dampen their spirits and prevent them from speaking the truth by adopting such tactics.

Senior journalists Arshad Aziz Malik, Sabz Ali Shah, Shakeel Farman Ali and Shah Zaman also demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of cases against him. They said the journalist would perform their duty by telling the truth and exposing the corrupt practices.