Arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

Traders warn of shutdown strike

By Our correspondents

MULTAN: The Markazi Tanzeem Tajran Pakistan on Saturday warned of shutter down strike if Jang/Geo Editor-in- Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was not released.

The MTTP delegation led by Multan city president Khalid Qureshi paid a solidarity visit to the protest camp set up in protest against the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They strongly condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and termed it illegal. They condemned the extension in physical remand of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They said that the country’s biggest group always stood with truth.

The traders said that the government first disrupted the Geo News transmission and then put the channel at the end numbers, which was a prove that the government was against the Jang/Geo Group.

Khalid Qureshi said that the Geo News was removed from cable soon after the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, which indicates that there was not the matter of only piece of a land but there was politics involved in the whole game.

He said that the government was spoiling and wasting energy gainst free press. The government also stopped advertisements and release of pending bills of the Jang/Geo Group, he alleged.

He alleged that the rulers want to squeeze Jang/Geo Group to prevent its reporting based on truth. The traders assured their complete support to the Jang/Geo Group and announced that the traders would call for shutter down strike against the policies of the government. He demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman from the NAB custody.

Punjab Karyana Association office-bearer Afaq Ansari said that the detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was illegal and he should be released from the NAB confinement. He said that his association was ready for the countrywide protest for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

BAHAWALPUR: Office-bearers of the Jamaat-e-Islami and journalists organisations on Saturday staged a symbolic sit-in at the press club to express their solidarity with Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The JI south Punjab naib ameer and district ameer Syed Zeeshan Akhtar, the Bahawalpur Union of Journalists office-bearers and the Jang ,

The News and Geo News Workers Action Committee members condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman by the NAB and demanded his immediate release. Later, the protesters took out a rally which started from the press club and culminated at the University Chowk.