Protests against unjustified detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continue

RAWALPINDI: The journalists and workers of the Geo and Jang Group, while protesting against illegal and unjustified long incarceration of Editor-in-Chief of the Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, on Wednesday said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will never make any compromise on his principled stance on the freedom of the media in the country despite all odds and movement for justice to him will continue till he gets justice.

The countrywide protest of journalists and workers of the Geo and Jang Group along with the journalist organisations, representatives of civil society and political workers continued their protest on Wednesday against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 229 days.

The protesters gathered outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi to hold their protest demonstration and chanted slogans and raised placards for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group and against the restrictions on the media.

Addressing the protest camp, Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi said the workers of Geo and Jang Group stood with the narrative of the their Editor-in-Chief of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the freedom of media in the country.

Chairman Joint Action Committee of workers of Geo and Jang Group and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti said Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman always fought the case for the freedom of the media in the country. He said workers stood with determination in the cause of freedom of media in the country.

Secretary General Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists Asif Ali Bhatti said Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman never learnt to bow before the illegal demands. He said the struggle will continue till the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Among others who were present in the protest camp in Rawalpindi, Amjad Abbassi, Malik Nusrat, Munir Shah, Kamal Shah, Naseerul Haq, Azhar Sultan, Aslam Butt, Athar Naqvi and other social and political workers besides the workers of Jang and The News.

Meanwhile, in Lahore, journalists, civil society members, office bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang group continued protests against the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the Editor-in-Chief of country’s largest media group, Jang Group and Geo TV, on Wednesday for the 207th consecutive day. Mir Shakil has been detained for the last 229 days under NAB custody over a 35-years old property exchange matter without giving any proof of charges or making any progress in the investigations.

Staging demonstration outside the Jang offices, the protesters criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for backing out on his 20-years claims to turn Pakistan into a Madinah-like state, alleging that he used the slogan only to hoodwink masses and win elections through media support. Imran Khan, they said, had been victimizing Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman 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-year 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 media’s arm twisting.

Zaheer Anjum termed PTI government as 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.

KARACHI: International athlete Noorul Amin on Wednesday remarked that the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was unlawful as the government had put him behind bars without any charge sheet. Amin, the Pakistani Shotokan karate and kickboxing champion, was speaking at the protest demonstration for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman outside the Jang-Geo offices in Karachi.

He said that the Jang-Geo Group was a credible source of information for millions across the world and had been in the line of fire by the government for upholding the truth which the powerful quarters did not tolerate.

Social activist Sher Ali urged the government to stop its campaign against the Jang-Geo Group and demanded immediate relase of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Ali said that the Jang-Geo Group has always supported the truth to set a precedent of fair journalism in the country. He said that the Pakistani people across the world will not let their trusted news institutions be comprised. He said that the government wanted to control the Jang-Geo Group to reduce it to a propaganda tool. Others who spoke at the demonstration included All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation’s secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga, The News Employees Union’s general secretary Dara Zafar and Javed Press Union’s general secretary Rana Yusuf.