Protest against illegal arrest of MSR continues

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Senior journalists and workers of the Jang and Geo Group along with journalist organisations, political workers and members of cross-section of the society have staged a peaceful demonstration 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, on Thursday said the victimisation against Jang-Geo Group, especially Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, was exposed. They said 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.

In Lahore, senior journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media bodies and the Jang Group workers union strongly condemned the illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

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.

In Peshawar, members of the journalist community sought the release of the Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief forthwith as they continued the protest. The protesters gathered outside the offices of the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV at the Khyber Super Market to highlight their demands.