Media workers continue protest for relase of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

KARACHI/PESHAWAR/MULTAN/LAHORE: Senior journalists and media organisations, political workers, members of civil society and political workers on Tuesday continued with their weeks' long protest against the unjust arrest of Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and for freedom of expression and independent media. They were demanding his immediate release and withdrawal of trumped-up cases against him.

In Peshawar, the media workers of the Jang-Geo Group led by Imdad Ali Qazalbash displayed banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. They demanded of the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdraw cases against him. The representatives of Khattak Property Association visited the camp to express solidarity with the media workers and the Jang Group. The speakers denounced the sitting government for arresting the Editor-in-Chief of the major media group only to stop him from publishing and broadcasting the truth. Terming his arrest in a 35-year-old property case an attack on the independent press, the speakers said the rulers, like the ones before them, could not and would not succeed in suppressing the voice of the independent media. Appreciating the positive role of the Jang Group, the speakers pledged to continue their support for the owners and workers of the Jang-Geo Group till the acceptance of their demands.

In Multan, members of the civil society visited the protest camp of the Jang-Geo Group workers and expressed solidarity with them and demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

PML-N's Malik Asif Rafiq Rajwana, PPP's senior leader Bushra Naqvi, President Tajir Ittehad Sultan Mehmood Malik and traders representatives Osman Khan Babar and others visited the protest camp and expressed solidarity with the Jang-Geo Group. They alleged that the government was taking steps against the freedom of free press across the country. They alleged that the government was trying to muzzle the country's independent media, which is the lifeline for democracy. They demanded immediate release of Jang-Geo Group, Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Lahore, workers of the Jang-Geo Group, senior journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of the media and trade unions attended the protest camp. The protest camp was led by senior journalists Shaheen Qureshi, Zahid Ali Khan, Zaheer Anjum, Pervaiz Bashir and Sher Ali Khalti, who along with several other senior journalists spoke on the occasion.

While demanding the release of Jang-Geo Group, Editor-in-Chief, they said the ruling political leadership is afraid of facing the truth and criticism. They recalled that even the past dictators despite their excesses could not silence the independent media. They condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a 34-year-old private transaction case. Shaheen Qureshi said the duty of the government is to control illegal activities but it has illegally detained Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. He said Pakistan has only a democratic government by name. He said first the government tried to force the independent media to toe its line by refusing to pay billions of rupees in arrears of advertisements, but went ahead to arrest the Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief on failing to subdue him.

Qureshi demanded early release of ailing Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for his services to the country over a long period.

In Karachi, while addressing the media workers, journalists and media organisations, trade unionists, political workers, members of the civil society at the protesters' camp near the offices of the Jang-Geo Group, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ali Akbar Gujjar denounced the detention of Jang Geo Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Gujjar said that the vengeful campaign by the federal government against independent media houses and political rivals will backfire due to its incompetency.

Gujjar, who is the PML-N Sindh’s vice-president, said that in the 72-year-old history of the country, people have never seen such an incompetent government which creates a problem every other day and in order to hide its wrongdoings, it is now attempting to gag the media, thinking they could easily get away with it. He said all the saner sections of population stand alongside journalists and independent media houses in their struggle for their freedom to expression and their right to information. He added that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for his independent editorial policies and for defying the government pressures. He added the government in a similar manner has also implicated former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and other PML-N leaders Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal and Saad Rafiq and had put them into jails.

The Pakistan People's Party leader, Faisal Shaikh, said that the government was trying to force Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman through NAB to turn a blind eye to its inept management. Shaikh added that the Jang-Geo Group has always stood by the right for which it has always been targeted by those in power. He said that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari were similarly persecuted and thrown into prisons. He pledged to stand by the journalists in their struggle for an independent media.

The Bureau Chief, Geo News, Karachi, Fahim Siddiqui, said that the global media, journalist associations, intellectuals and advocates of freedom of expression and democracy are condemning the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and have called it an attack on the independence of the media in the country. He said it is surprising that when Jang-Geo Group's editor-in-chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was regularly appearing for questioning into the case and was fully cooperating with his interrogators, NAB took him into custody. He asked who will compensate for the emotional loss that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his family had suffered during his detention.

All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation’s Secretary General Shakil Yamin Kanga said that there is no denying the fact that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is being punished through NAB for Group’s independent journalism. He said that it was a proud moment for the Jang-Geo Group that its Editor-in-Chief landed into jail but did not compromise on his principles like his father Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman, who founded the institution. He said that the protest of Jang-Geo Action Committee will continue until the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Others who spoke at the camp included The News Employees Union general secretary Dara Zafar, Javed Press Employees Union’s general secretary Rana Yusuf and APNEC’s Fawad Mehmood.