Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention: Jang-Geo workers pin hope on Supreme Court for justice

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: The journalists and workers of the Jang-Geo Group while protesting against the illegal arrest of the Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Wednesday hoped for getting justice from the Supreme Court today (Thursday) who had wrongly been persecuted for his commitment to the free media.

The countrywide protest of the workers of Jang-Geo Group along with the journalist organisations, representatives of the civil society, and political workers is continuing for the last 208 days against Rahman's illegal arrest. The protesters at the camp outside the offices of the Jang and The News in Rawalpindi raised slogans for his release, saying that the arrest was only meant to mute the free voice of the media. Addressing the protest demonstration, Chairman Joint Action Committee Nasir Chisti said all the workers are hopeful to get justice from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Secretary General RIUJ Asif Ali Bhatti said Mir Shakil made the journalists proud for facing illegal detention as he did not compromise on his principled stance of freedom of media in the country. PML-N leader of Rawalpindi Imtiaz Taji said all the international human rights and journalists’ organisations and political parties have already declared his arrest as illegal and only meant to bring free media of the country into pressure.

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. Staging demonstration outside the Jang Offices, 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 come to power. They said actually Imran is victimising Mir Shakil for exposing the corruption and bad governance of the PTI regime.

In Peshawar, the members of the journalist community demanded his immediate release. The President Peshawar Press Club president Syed Bukhar Shah led the protest outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV. The protesting media workers were carrying banners and placards. Those who spoke on the occasion included Syed Bukhar Shah, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Farmanullah Jan, Ihtesham Toru, Qaiser Khan, Amjad Safi, Rasool Dawar, Sabz Ali Shah, Imdad Ali Qazalbash and others.