Protests continue for release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR/KARACHI: Journalists on Friday continued protest against the arrest of the Jang Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and called for his release forthwith.

The protesters converged on the lawn outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV at the Khyber Super Market to register their anguish at the long incarceration of the Jang Group head. The protesters raised slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for pursuing a hostile policy against the media.

Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Farmanullah Jan, Sabz Ali Shah, Gohar Ali, Qaiser Khan, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Shah Zaman, Sheeba Haider, Rahamdil and others spoke on the occasion. The speakers flayed the PTI government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on cooked-up charges on March 12 and keeping him interned for the last 191 days. They said the Jang Group chief had been targeted and put under detention since then to gag the free media and stifle the bold voices. The protesters were critical of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and said it was biased in taking actions against the opposition parties and was after the free media.

The speakers requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who represented the largest media group of the country. In Rawalpindi, journalists and workers of the Geo-Jang Group, while protesting against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief of the Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, said that the international human rights groups and journalist organizations were declaring the arrest as illegal and vindictive policy to curb the freedom of media but the rulers were unmoved on these voices. The journalists and workers of the Geo-Jang Group, along with the Federal Union of Journalists, Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists, representatives of the civil society and political workers, continued their protest against the illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 188 days.

At the protest camp outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, addressing the demonstration Secretary General PFUJ Nasir Zaidi said the All Parties Conference of the Pakistan Bar Council has also condemned the arrest of the Group chief in a fake and fabricated case and demanded his release. He said it was a great victory of the workers of Geo and Jang that the APC of PBC has raised its voice in support of Editor-in-Chief. He said those in power aimed to control the independent editorial policy of the Geo-Jang Group by arresting the Editor-in-Chief but all the workers of the Group stood with their Editor-in-Chief to foil their attempts. Nasir Chisti said the workers of Geo and Jang Group will not bow before the pressure.

Secretary General RIUJ Asif Ali Bhatti said despite the whole world condemning the arrest of Editor-in-Chief, the rulers were unmoved. PML-N leader of Rawalpindi Imtiaz Taji said the restrictions on the freedom of the media is a gross violation of the constitution.

In Karachi, speaking to the protest for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Friday, traders’ leader said that they will keep supporting the Jang-Geo Group against the draconian curbs being imposed by the federal government on it for promoting fair and independent journalism.

Amin Jan, Chairperson of Old Haji Camp Landa Bazar Association, said that if the government did not back off from its vendetta against the Jang-Geo Group, then they will take to the streets, expanding their protest on the call of the Jang-Geo Action Committee.

Jan said that businesspersons in the country were being persecuted and the case concocted against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was part of the same vengeful campaign by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. He demanded the government to immediately release the Jang-Geo editor-in-chief.

All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had committed the sin of informing the people about the issues that really concerned them. Timber Market Association leader Altaf Soomro said that Imran Khan before becoming the prime minister had sold people dreams of a better future but the real picture turned out to be complete opposite. He said that businesses were struggling to run and power had become a major issue. Others who spoke at the demonstration included The News Employees Union general secretary Dara Zafar and Javed Press Employees Union general secretary Rana Yusuf.