Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest: Jang/Geo Group workers hold countrywide protests

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR/MULTAN/KARACHI: The Jang-Geo Group workers along with large cross-section of the society, including members of the civil society, media organisations and political workers, continued their countrywide protest on the 48th day against the illegal and unjust arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Jang-Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman outside the group's offices on Wednesday. They termed the continued detention as persecution aimed to deter the independent media and pledged to resist it strongly. They expressed their resolve to continue their protests till the unconditional release of Editor-in-Chief. At Rawalpindi, the protesters gathered at their camp near the offices of daily Jang and The News at the Murree Road in Rawalpindi. Addressing the protest camp, Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi said the arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Jang-Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was an attack on the freedom of media. He said the journalists' role for the freedom of media and upholding the rights of all other sections of the society as well as the country's institutions was historic. “Whenever the judiciary was attacked, it were the journalists who stood by the judiciary,” he said. He said in the Zia regime, newspapers were forced to close down, journalists were sent to prisons but they never bowed before the dictatorship and continued their struggle. Zaidi saluted the workers of Jang-Geo Group who despite odds are continuing their struggle for the freedom of media and for the release of their Editor-in-Chief.

Former President Afzal Butt said tremendous pressure was exerted on Editor-in-Chief of Jang-Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to change the group's editorial policies for which he was facing the music. He said international human rights and journalists organization were looking towards the judiciary for justice, he said. Chairman Joint Action Committee of Workers of Jang-Geo Group and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chishti said their struggle will continue till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Secretary General RIUJ and senior correspondent of Geo News Asif Ali Bhatti said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was unwell for the last two weeks. “If they think that they could muzzle the press with such intimidatory tactics, they have forgotten they cannot dissuade the journalists,” he said.

Editor Reporting Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir said Mir Shakil has now become an icon of media's struggle for its freedom and liberties. He said despite the health issues, Mir Shakil has a firm resolve and he is not prepared to strike any compromises.

Senior reporters Asim Yasin, Najam Usmani and workers Munir Shahm and Nadeem Khan said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has set a news precedent for journalists who will never compromise on their principles and freedom of media despite all odds and financial complications. They said they were looking upto the superior judiciary to deliver justice.

Similarly in Karachi, the protest camp was visited by political workers and a large number of Jang-Geo Group's journalists, trade unionists, media organisations to express solidarity for their struggle against the draconian curbs on the freedom of expression and media. They lashed out at the government for illegally arresting the Group's Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Speaking to a protest outside the Jang-Geo offices in Karachi, Pakistan People's Party leader Zulfiqar Qaimkhani said that it was about time that all the stakeholders should unite on one platform and campaign against the federal government which was in its worst vengeful mode.

Qaimkhani said that after becoming the prime minister, Imran Khan unleashed his vendetta against Mir Shakil, who was arrested through the National Accountability Bureau in a 34-year-old private transaction. He added besides the cross-section of the society, the PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has pledged to join the campaign of Jang-Geo Action Committee for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and pledged if the government did not accept their demands, then they will soon take to the streets in protest.

The Secretary General Democratic Workers Federation, Liaquat Sahi, said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was absolutely unjust and illegal because the Constitution forbade institutions to detain any person for their personal satisfaction. He said that the NAB has violated its lawful domain to satisfy the government. Calling for unity among the media houses owners and journalist fraternity, Sahi said that Jang-Geo Group is the toughest opposition against the government's designs to subdue independent media and without that, all others will fall like nine pins. He hoped that soon Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will be out of the jail.

All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation's secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga said that the government should not test the patience of the employees of Jang-Geo Group and immediately release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Kanga said that instead of sitting in homes and having iftar with families in this holy month of Ramazan, the Jang-Geo workers were protesting for the release of their Editor-in-Chief and will continue doing so till his release.

Javed Press Union's general secretary Rana Yusuf said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was languishing in jail without any FIR, let alone a conviction. He said that the government will have to pay for its wrongdoings. The News Employees Union's general secretary Dara Zafar also spoke at the demonstration and strongly criticised Rahman's unlawful arrest. Terming it yet another attempt to subdue the Group for its independent editorial policies, Zafar said the persecution cannot force the Group and its workers to toe the government line.

In Peshawar, like other parts of the country, the media workers of Jang Group continued their protest outside their offices here against the arrest of Mir Shakil. The protesters carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands urged the government to release Mir Shakil and withdraw the cases against him. Speaking on the occasion, Arshad Aziz Malik, Resident Editor Daily Jang Peshawar, said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested in a 34-year old property case to silence the media group. He said the government was trying to pressure the Jang Media Group into silence and stifle the media outlets. Malik said the government wanted to suppress the voice of independent press by arresting Mir Shakil, but the rulers would not succeed in their nefarious designs. He said the government would not be able to be muzzle the press and prevent the journalists from speaking the truth. The Jang resident editor maintained that the journalist community would continue the protest till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of cases against him.

And in Multan, all the workers of Daily Jang, Geo News and The News staged a demonstration against the arrest of Jang-Geo Group's Editor-in-Chief and demanded his immediate release. Pakistan People’s Party's Minority MNA Naveed Amir Jeewa, Pakistan Muslim League-N leaders Shakir Dilawar Qureshi and Hamid Khan visited the protest camp of the Jang Group workers and expressed solidarity with the protesters and demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Naveed Amir Jeewa condemned the NAB for arresting Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and involving him in a baseless case. He said that the arrest had raised the question of free press in the country. Jeewa said that the government was using tactics to deny freedom of the press. He demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman from the jail.

PML-N office-bearers Hamid Khan and Shakir Qureshi also condemned the arrest of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and alleged that the government was taking action those who were raising voice against the government policies. They demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.