Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention: Jang-Geo workers’ protest goes on

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: A peaceful demonstration of journalists and workers of Geo and Jang Group along with the Federal Union of Journalists, representatives of the civil society and political workers against illegal and unjustified detention of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continued on Friday and demanded his unconditional release.

The countrywide peaceful protest of the workers of the Geo and Jang group have been going on for the last 160 days against the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and against the restrictions on the freedom of media in the country.

At a demonstration outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi on Friday, which has already been declared as a “Freedom Street”, the workers of the Geo and Jang Group chanted slogans for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Among other, the peaceful demonstration was attended by Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Joint Action Committee and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chistsi, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Secretary General RIUJ and senior correspondent Geo News Asif Ali Bhatti, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, senior sports reporter Jang Shakil Awan, Munir Shah, Amjad Ali Abbasi, Malik Nusrat, Aslam Butt, and workers of the Jang and The News.

Speaking on the occasions, the protesters said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for raising the voice for the freedom of the media in the country. They said he refused to make any compromise on the cause of the freedom of the media and stood firm on his principle stance.

In Lahore, senior journalists, civil society leaders, office-bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang group on Friday continued condemning the PTI government for keeping Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman under the NAB custody in a politically-motivated case for the last 160 days without finding any proof of their charges or making any progress in investigations.

Staging a demonstration outside the Jang offices on Friday at a protest camp of the workers of Geo, Jang and The News employees for the 138th consecutive day, they lamented that Prime Minister Imran Khan who came into power, claiming to make Pakistan a Madina-like state has been incarcerating Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman solely for victimization.

Those who participated in the protest include Secretary General of Jang Workers Union Farooq Malik, News Editor of Pakistan Times Zaheer Anjum, Shahab Ansari, Awais Qarni, Sher Ali Khalti, Aziz Sheikh, Munawar Hussain, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Wajed, Wahab Khanzada, Akmal Bhatti, Hafiz Asad, Mohammed Ali, Akmal Bhatti, Afzal Abbas and others.

Zaheer Anjum termed the PTI government the worst kind of fascist and authoritarian regime bent upon gagging the voice of media to prevent exposure of its own corruption and bad governance.

In Peshawar, journalists continued the protest against the arrest of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, and renewed the demand for his immediate release. The protesters gathered outside the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV offices, carrying banners and placards which condemned the incarceration of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman since March 12 in a property case. They chanted slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for pressuring the Jang Group and detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Farmanullah Jan, Ihtesham Toru, Gulzar Khan, Qaiser Khan and others spoke on the occasion.

They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been under detention for the last 163 days on false charges in a deal which had been cooked up. The speakers said the PTI government was making bids to tame the free media and was targeting the non-pliant media houses. They said the arrest of the Jang Media Group was a case in point. The protesters elaborated that thought the legal experts had clearly said that the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was illegal and unconstitutional, the head of the largest media group of the country continued to be interned which was a clear case of victimisation.