Jang workers stage protest, demand release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

PESHAWAR: The workers of Jang Group continued their protest against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in front of their offices on Thursday.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favor of their demands, the workers urged the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdraw cases against him.

The women parliamentarians from all the major political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) visited the camp to express solidarity with the protesting workers and urge the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and withdraw cases against him.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N central secretary general Shaheen Habibullah and provincial general secretary Farah Khan, former ANP MPA Shagufta Malik, JUI-F’s Rehana Ismail, JI MPA Humaira Khatoon, QWP’s Nasreen Khattak, and PPP’s Saima Munir termed the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman an attack on independent press and said it would be resisted.

Shaheen Habibullah said the PTI has exposed its real face during its two years rule by arresting opposition leaders and media owners to suppress their voice instead of working for the welfare of people. She said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested because he highlighted the truth.

Shagufta Malik said the selected rulers had been imposed on the people in the name of democracy and they started political victimization instead of accepting criticism. She said Jang Group was being punished for exposing the government’s failures and scandals.

Rehana Ismail observed that the NAB was not an independent institution but was working on the directives of the government.

She said NAB should hold investigations into mega corruption cases like Billion Tree Tsunami, BRT, Malam Jabba, etc if it was an independent institution. She asked as to why it adopted silence over the sugar and flour scandals.

Saima Munir termed the arrest of Mir Shakeel-ur-Rahman as illegal and said her party would side with the media and workers in difficult times.

Farah Khan said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was the voice of poor people including farmers, students, labourers and women but he had been kept in illegal custody without filing an FIR against him.

Nasreen Khattak said the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was earning a bad name for Pakistan in the world. She termed it an attack on the press and democracy.

The resident editor daily Jang, Arshad Aziz Malik, recalled that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested in a 34 years old property case.

He said the rulers were trying to pressure the Jang Group but they would not succeed in their mission.