Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention: Jang-Geo workers’ protest enters 181st day

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: The journalists and workers of Geo and Jang Group on Thursday continued their countrywide protest against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

They said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s illegal arrest depicts the dictatorial attitude as well as the violation of the Constitution. The journalists and workers of Geo and Jang group along with the journalist organisations, representatives of civil society and political workers have been continuing their protest against the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 181 days.

The protesters gathered outside the offices of the Jang and The News in Rawalpindi and chanted slogans for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and for the freedom of media in the country.

Among others, who addressed the protest camp, included Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Joint Action Committee of workers of Geo and Jang Group Islamabad and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chisti, Resident Editor Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Secretary General RIUJ Asif Ali Bhatti, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Kamal Shah, Munir Shah, Nusrat Malik, Amjad Abbasi, Rahat Munir, Aslam Butt, PML-N leader of Rawalpindi Imtiaz Taji and other workers of Jang and The News.

Addressing the protest camp, the speakers said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was fighting the cause of whole media of the country. They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman never compromised on independent editorial policy of Geo and Jang Group.

They said justice was not seen to be done in the case of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They said now the international human rights and journalist organisations are also raising the questions on the attitude of those in power on illegal and unjustified arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

They said Editor-in-Chief Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman turns into the symbol of freedom of media in the country. They said the workers of the Geo and Jang group will foil all the conspiracies against the Geo and Jang group.

In Lahore, senior journalists and workers of The News, Jang and Geo continued their protest against the unlawful detention of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the NAB and appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of this gross injustice.

The speakers who expressed their sentiments over the unlawful arrest said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has been wrongly put behind the bars while the civil society has become unemployed. Senior journalist and Editor Daily Awaz Khalid Farooqi, Zaheer Anjum, Sher Ali Khalti, Awais Qarni, Ayesha Ikram, Aziz Sheikh and Secretary Jang Workers Union Muhammad Farooq said the case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is very weak.

In Multan, activists of People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF) and workers of Jang, Geo and The News Thursday staged a demonstration against illegal detention of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Addressing the protesters on Nusrat Road, PLF south Punjab PLF president Sheikh Giasul Haq termed the detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman unconstitutional and unjust act. Giasul Haq said the conspiracies against Jang and Geo TV will not succeed. He said the government wanted to pressurise the Jang/Geo group which is the leading media group of the country.

The protesters, including Naveed Hashmi, Chaudhry Muhammad Bilal, Fiyyiaz Butha, Rao Sadam, Mahar Kashif, Ali Amaar and others, urged the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as soon as possible. They accused the government of stifling the voice of Jang and Geo group. The demonstrators were carrying placards and banners in their hands. They said the NAB has become controversial due to its action. Journalists Zafar Aheer, Nisar Awan, Nadeem Shah, Shahadat Hussein, Masood Chaudhry, Ehtesham Baig, Rauf Maan, Nadeem Shah and others also raised slogans for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Peshawar, the members of the journalist community on Thursday continued the protest against the arrest of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and flayed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for incarcerating him since March 12 on false charges.

Led by Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah, the protesters converged on the lawn outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV in the Khyber Super Market with banners and placards. They raised slogans against the PTI government for arresting the head of the Jang Group and pressuring the independent media to toe the official line. Senior journalists Syed Bukhar Shah, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Farmanullah Jan, Nisar Mahmood, Khalid Kheshgi, Ansar Abbas, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Syed Farooq Shah, Ihtesham Toru, Rasool Dawar, Qaiser Khan, Gohar Ali, Amjad Safi and others spoke on the occasion.

They slammed the PTI government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a property case which was a deal between the two properties and had nothing wrong. The speakers deplored that the PTI government had kept Mir Shakil-ur Rahman in detention for the last 183 days to punish the Jang Media Group for upholding independent journalism. They were critical of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting the government rivals and suppressing the independent media houses. The protesters said certain people in the ruling party were allegedly involved in massive corruption scams but the NAB was reluctant to take action against them. They implored the Supreme Court to take notice of the detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and provide him justice.