Protests continue for release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

LAHORE/Rawalpindi/Karachi: The protest of journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang Group against the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Editor-in-Chief of country’s largest media group, Jang/Geo Group, continued on Tuesday for the 192nd consecutive day.

Mir Shakil has been detained for the last 214 days under NAB custody over a 35-year-old property exchange matter without giving any proof of charges or making any progress in the investigations. Staging a demonstration outside the Jang offices, they criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking U-turn on his tall claims of 20 years to turn Pakistan into a Madina-like state, alleging that he used the slogan only to woo media support to win elections. But, Imran Khan had been victimising Mir Shakilur Rahman for exposing the corruption and bad governance of PTI regime, they said, lamenting that Mir Shakil was detained despite that no progress was made either in investigations into the corruption charges of 35 years old property exchange case nor any formal case was registered. The participants termed it a blatant attack on media freedom and a conspiracy to close down country’s largest media group. They chanted slogans against the fascist PTI regime and condemned using NAB for arm twisting of media.

They demanded that the Chief Justice of Pakistan should take suo motu notice against this gross injustice which was a direct attack on the freedom of expression and liberty of media. They demanded immediate release of Mir Shakilur Rahman and threatened to launch anti-government movement across the country if he was not released.

The participants in the protest included Secretary general of Jang works union Malik Farooq Awan, News Editor of Pakistan Times, Zaheer Anjum, Kashmiri human rights leader Humayun Mirza, senior journalists Awais Qarni, Sher Ali Khalti, Munawwar Hussain, Ms Ayesha Akram, Shahid Aziz, Muhammad Ali, Akmal Bhatti, Afzal Abbas, Shahzad Rauf, Zahid Mehmood, Masood Ahmad and others.

Zaheer Anjum termed PTI government the worst kind of fascist and authoritarian regime bent upon gagging the voice of media to prevent exposure of its own corruption and bad governance. He warned other owners of the media houses were the next target after Mir Shakilur Rahman was the first casualty in PTI government’s stifling media policy. He said choking the entire media would become an easy target for PTI government when the top-ranking media house would either be closed down or badly reduced to size. He said media owners must realise that unless they empower their workers and professional journalists their own strength would be seriously curtailed, and they would become an easy prey to the ruling elite.

Awais Qarni said media cannot work for the truth without freedom, as it played the role of watchdog for the society and country. He noted that such victimisations were forced by dictators like Gen Ayub Khan, Gen Ziaul Haq, Gen Pervez Musharraf, in the past, and now media workers were being victimized by Imran Khan. He said the whole world knew the truth that Imran Khan was selected in sham elections and was now proving that he was not the representative of the masses and democracy.

Sher Ali said victimisation of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman must come to an end and he should be released as his arrest was a symbolic move to usurp media freedom. Already the results desired by rulers were coming out and the arrest was leading towards the crumbling of other media houses and closure of noted news channels and retrenchment of workers in others recently. He said the government instead of providing relief to people from economic crunch, was busy in curbing the voice of media and victimising the media owners. He said Jang Group always reported the truth.

Malik Farooq Awan said Mir Shakilur Rahman is a symbol of freedom of expression and this struggle is not only for his release but also for the freedom of media in future. Sher Ali Khalti said the arrest of Mir Shakil was not only a conspiracy against the Geo and Jang Group but also first step to mute all the voices of the independent media.

In Rawalpindi, The journalists and workers of Geo-Jang Group staged a protest here on Tuesday against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief of the Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and declared his arrest as victimisation and government oppression to control the free and independent voice of the media.

Before staging the peaceful demonstration, journalists and workers of Geo-Jang Group, along with journalist organisations, representatives of the civil society and political workers, prayed for the health of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his mother.The countrywide protest of journalists and workers of Geo-Jang Group has continued for the last 214 days against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

At the protest camp set up outside the offices of the Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, which has already been declared as the Freedom Street, the protesters, while carrying banners and placards, chanted slogans, demanding the release of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and in support for the freedom of the media in the country.

Among others who were present at the protest camp were 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 Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti, Resident Editor Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Secretary General Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists and Senior Correspondent Geo News Islamabad Asif Ali Bhatti, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Amjad Abbassi, Munir Shah, Nusrat Malik, Kamal Shah, Naseerul Haq, Azhar Sultan, Aslam Butt, Athar Naqvi and other social and political workers, besides workers of the Jang and The News.

The protesters demanded of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to provide justice to Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and release him. They said the Movement for Justice for Editor-in-Chief will continue till his release. They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested illegally in a fake and fabricated case of 34-year-old business transaction and his arrest was only meant to mute the voices for the free media.

In Karachi, Pakistan People's Party leader Dr Muhammad Ismail said the Jang-Geo Group was being punished for promoting truth in its publications and broadcast. He urged the court to declare the incarceration of the Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman illegal and immediately release him from prison. He said the government had made a 34-year-old case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a bid to pressurise him to toe its line.

He said the whole PPP stood with the protesting employees of the Jang-Geo Group and if Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was not set free, then they will join the Jang-Geo Action Committee and take to the streets against the draconian curbs on the independent media. He demanded of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of seven-month-long detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a fake case.

Others who spoke on the occasion included All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation’s secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga, Urdu daily Naya Mahaz’s resident editor Ashfaq Warraich, The News Employees Union’s general secretary Dara Zafar and APNEC Karachi’s vice-chairman Rana Yusuf.