RAWALPINDI: The workers of Geo and Jang Group continued their countrywide protest on the 125th day against the illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
At the protest outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, the protesters chanted slogans and raised placards for the release of Editor-in-Chief and also against the restrictions on the freedom of media in the country.
The demonstration was participated by Chairman Joint Action Committee of the workers of Geo and Jang Group and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti, Magazine Editor Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Secretary General Jang workers union Khalid Mehmood, Amjad Abbassi, Munir Shah, Malik Nusrat, Rahat Munir, Aslam Butt and workers of Jang and The News.
The protesters called for the release of Editor-in-Chief Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and for the freedom of media in the country.
LAHORE: The employees of Jang-Geo continued their peaceful protest on Thursday against the illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
The demonstration was staged outside the offices of Jang and Geo on the Davis Road. The speakers said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being subjected to inhuman treatment only because of raising his voice for press freedom.
They said the editor-in-chief had gained more respect amongst Jang-Geo workers as well as the general public because of his firm stand against the enemies of free media. They expressed solidarity with Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and appreciated his struggle for press freedom.
The protest camp participants including senior journalists, Jang-Geo workers and prominent personalities from all walks of life said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had never shied away from standing against tyrants. Jang’s Group Editor Shaheen Qureshi, who led the protest, appreciated his struggle for press freedom.
Those who spoke on the occasion included Editor Jang Reporting and senior journalist Maqsood Butt, senior journalists Zaheer Anjum, Shafiq Ahmed, Awais Qarni, Sher Ali Khalti, Qaisar Salim, Mohammad Farooq, Aziz Sheikh, Nawazish Ali Nawazish, Sohail Iqbal, Amir, Mohammad Nasir, Mohammad Wahid, Hafiz Asad, Munawar Hussain, Taimur, Javaid Iqbal, Wahab Khanzada, Mohammad Ali, Akmal Bhatti and Afzal Abbas.
PESHAWAR: The media workers of Jang, Geo and The News continued their protest on Thursday against the illegal detention of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, urging the rulers to release Mir Shakil forthwith. The speakers, including senior journalists, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman, Rizwan Sheikh, Imdad Qazalbash and others, were dismayed that the court had rejected the bail application of Mir Shakil. Quoting constitutional experts, the protesters said NAB had no justification to detain a citizen in a 34-year-old property case.
Severely criticizing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the protesters said the government was trying to control the independent media and opposition through such tactics but hoped such efforts would fail like in the past. Terming the arrest illegal and unconstitutional and an attack on the media, they said they would not allow any government to suppress the voice of the independent media and continue economic murder of workers. The speakers recalled that the editor-in-chief of the biggest media group of the country had been detained for the last 127 days in a 34-year-old property case for which all legal requirements had been fulfilled. They said the so-called champions of change and reforms should have conducted accountability of the responsible people involved in the Bus Rapid Transit, Malam Jabba, Billion Tree Tsunami, sugar and atta crisis and against the adviser to chief minister Ajmal Wazir.
The protesters said they would continue their struggle till the release of Mir Shakil and withdrawal of cases against him. The workers appealed to the chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and provide him justice.