Protest against illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman goes on

RAWALPINDI/ LAHORE/ PESHAWAR: Senior journalists and workers of the Jang and Geo Group along with the journalist organisations, political workers and members of cross-section of the society staged a peaceful demonstration on Thursday against the illegal and arbitrary arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Jang and Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his immediate release, vowing to foil all the conspiracies against the country’s largest media house.

The protesters at the demonstration that has been continuing for the last 146 days outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, said the victimisation against Jang-Geo Group, especially Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, was exposed. They said the Human Rights Watch had categorically stated that the NAB was being used to intimidate opponents and suppress the voice of freedom of media.

The participants of the demonstration included Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Joint Action Committee and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti, Munir Shah, Amjad Ali Abbasi, Malik Nusrat, Aslam Butt, and workers of the Jang and The News.

LAHORE: Senior journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media bodies and the Jang Group workers union strongly condemned the illegal detention of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 146 days.

Speakers at the protest censured the NAB-Niazi connivance, which had kept Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in detention in a politically motivated case for the last about five months without finding any proof or making any progress in investigation.

They were staging a demonstration outside the Jang offices on Thursday at a protest camp, being held for the last 122nd consecutive days for the release of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief.

Those who participated in the protest camp included Jang Works Union Secretary General Farooq Malik, News Editor of Pakistan Times Zaheer Anjum, The News Deputy Chief Reporter Asim Hussain, Tajammul Gurmani, Amir Taimur Malik, Awais Qarni, Sher Ali Khalti, Muhammad Shafiq, Aziz Sheikh, Munawwar Hussain, Muhammad Naeem, M Nawaz, Muhammad Wajed, Wahab Khanzada, Akmal Bhatti, Hafiz Asad, Mohammed Ali, Afzal Abbas and others.

PESHAWAR: The members of the journalist community sought the release of the Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, forthwith as they continued the protest against his arrest on Thursday.

The protesters gathered outside the offices of the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV at the Khyber Super Market to highlight their demands.

Those who addressed the protesters were Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Shah Zaman, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Qaisar Khan, Gulzar Khan and others. The speakers came down hard on the government for victimizing Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in reaction to the independent policy of the Jang Media Group, which he had been heading since long.