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

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR/KARACHI: The journalists and workers of Geo and Jang Group while protesting against the illegal and unjustified detention of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Monday said that no democratic system could be strengthened without a free media in the country.

The struggle of the Geo and Jang Group was for the freedom of the media in the country to flourish the democratic process. The journalists and workers of the Geo and Jang Group also announced that their struggle will continue till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who has now become a symbol for the freedom of media in the country.

The countryside protest of the journalists and workers of Geo and Jang Group along with the journalist organisations, representatives of the civil society and political workers against the illegal and unjust arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has continued for the last 206 days.

At the protest camp outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, the protesters chanted slogans for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and vowed to foil all the conspiracies against Geo and Jang Group.

Addressing the protest campt outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, Chairman Joint Action Committee of the workers of Geo and Jang Group and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti said that the workers of the Geo and Jang group stood with high morals and the struggle will continue till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman.

Resident Editor Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid said the day will soon come when Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman will be among the workers. Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir said the no democracy could flourish without free media and the struggle of the workers of the Geo and Jang Group for the freedom of media in the country.

Workers of Jang Group Amjad Abbassi, Munir Shah, Malik Nusrat, Kamal Shah, Naseerul Haq, Azhar Sulatn, Aslam Butt, Athar Naqvi and other social and political workers spoke on the occasion.

In Lahore, journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and Jang Workers Union continued protesting against the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman detained for the last 206 days.

Staging demonstration outside the Jang Offices Monday at the protest camp for 184th consecutive day, they criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking U-turn on his tall claims of over 20 years to turn Pakistan into a Madina-like state, alleging that he used the slogan only to woo media support to come to power. But they said actually Imran had been victimising Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for exposing the corruption and bad governance of the PTI government. They lamented that Jang/Geo editor-in-chief was detained despite no progress was made either in investigations into the corruption charges nor any formal case registered. The protesters termed it a blatant attack on media freedom and a conspiracy to close down country’s largest media group. They shouted slogans against the fascist PTI regime and condemned the anti-media tactics of the NAB.

In Peshawar, the members of the journalist community on Monday continued the protest against the arrest of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The protesters gathered outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV and condemned the arrest. President of the Peshawar Press Club, Syed Bukhar Shah, led the protesters who were holding banners and placards and raised slogans against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Among the speakers were Syed Bukhar Shah, Nisar Mahmood, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Farmanullah Jan, Ihtesham Toru, Gulzar Khan, Qaiser Khan, Amjad Safi, Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others. The protesters flayed the PTI government for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on false charges on March 12 and keeping him interned since then. They lamented the cheap pressure tactics against the Jang Media Group to gag independent journalism. The speakers said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been behind bars for the last 208 days which had triggered concerns. They flayed the PTI government for following a hostile media policy and said actions against the Jang Media Group clearly showed the arm-twisting by the rulers to force independent journalists into submission. The speakers were critical of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting only the opposition and giving a free hand to the allegedly corrupt elements in the government.

They asked why the NAB was not taking any action against those involved in wheat flour, sugar, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit scandals. The protesters implored the apex court of the country to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Karachi, speaking to the protest demonstration for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Monday, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz leader Salman Khan said that the Jang-Geo Group was being punished for promoting truth and projecting the real picture of the country.

Khan, who is president for the PML-N’s Karachi chapter, demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman from prison and called for a collective struggle by all sections of the society who wanted a better country. He said that the government was playing a dangerous game by putting its critics in jail. The demonstration, which is going on for past seven months since the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the National Accountability Bureau in a bogus case, was attended by journalists, trade unionist, political, civil and human rights activists.

Others who spoke at the protesters camp remarked that the government was hell bent on tightening space around its critics and general public to serve the agenda of few people. They said that this “selected” and so-called democratic government was worse than all the dictatorships.