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

LAHORE/KARACHI: Journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang Group on Saturday continued their protests against the illegal and unjust arrest and continued detention of Jang-Geo Group's Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 204 days over a 35-year-old property exchange case without any substantive evidence or making any headway in the investigations.

Staging a demonstration outside the Jang offices at a protest camp, they criticized Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking U-turn on his tall claims of turning Pakistan into a Madina-like state, alleging that he used the slogan only to woo the media. They said Imran Khan is victimizing Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for exposing the corruption and bad governance of the PTI government. They termed it a blatant attack on media freedom and a conspiracy to close down the country’s largest media group. They chanted slogans against the fascist PTI regime and condemned the illegal and anti-media tactics of the NAB.

They demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan to take a suo motu action against this gross injustice which is a direct attack on the freedom of expression and liberty of media. They demanded the immediate release of Mir Shakil and threatened to launch an anti-government movement across the country if it is not done.

The participants in the protest included Secretary General of Jang Workers Union Farooq Awan, News Editor of Pakistan Times Zaheer Anjum, senior journalists Awais Qarni, Muhammad Shafiq, Sher Ali Khalti, Ayesha Akram, Munawwar Hussain, Shahid Aziz, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Ali, Romeo Jalib, Akmal Bhatti, Afzal Abbas and others.

Meanwhile, in Karachi, senior journalist Tehseen Abbasi remarked that Rahman was being punished for his patriotism as he chose to stand with the country instead of some powerful personalities.

Abbasi, who is the CEO of Times News, was speaking to the protest demonstration for Rahman’s release outside the Jang Geo offices in Karachi. A large number of group’s workers, trade unions, political parties, civil society and human rights activists were present in the protest camp which is going on for the past six months since his arrest by National Accountability Bureau.

Besides Abbasi, former secretary of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Mazhar Abbas, All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation Secretary General Shakil Yamin Kanga, The News Employees Union’s General Secretary Dara Zafar and Javed Press Employees Union’s General Secretary Rana Yusuf addressed the demonstration. They demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil and said the government must stop its vengeful campaign against the independent media.