Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest: Jang/Geo workers continue protest

RAWALPINDI: The countrywide protest of the workers of Geo and Jang Group along with the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, representatives of the civil society, lawyers and workers of the political parties against the illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and on the curbs on the media continued for last 96 days on Wednesday.

They vowed to resist all the conspiracies against the Geo and Jang Group and stood united for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The Protestors chanted slogans for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Shakil-ur-Rahman and condemned the curbs on the freedom of media and also condemned the conspiracies to close down the Geo and Jang Group.

Addressing the protest outside the offices of Jang and The News at Murree Road in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, the speakers calls for release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaid said the Geo and Jang Group always fought for the freedom of media and the journalists associated with the Geo and Jang group were on forefront in the struggle for the media freedom in the country.

He said it was not first time that Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was targeted for raising the freedom of media as in past he also made targeted. “But Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman never compromises on the principle of freedom of media,” he said.

Editor Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid said Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman never compromised on his principles and freedom of media.

He said those who conspire against Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will not succeed in their conspiracies as the workers of the Geo and Jang group stood united with their Editor-in-Chief in the cause of freedom of media.

Chairman Joint Action Committee of Workers of Geo and Jang Group and President Jang Workers Unions Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti said the workers stood united with Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and will continue till his release.

Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir said the illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is a question mark on the justice and humanity.

He said the arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman proved that how the arrests made for bringing the truth before the people of Pakistan.

Workers of Jang group Munir Shah, Nadeem Khan, Amjad Ali Abbasi and Malik Nusrat said all the workers of Geo and Jang Group stood firm as a wall with their Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Lahore, Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has been arrested for raising the voice of his conscience and he has gained more respect in the hearts of the workers and the general public after 96 days of his arrest while journalists and the civil society have refused to give in to the mean tactics of his captives. This was the general consensus among the speakers while expressing solidarity with Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, at the ongoing protest campaign on Davis Road Wednesday.

The speakers included senior journalists, Jang & Geo Group workers and prominent personalities from all walks of life including PPP leaders advocate Mian Hanif Tahir, advocate Iftikhar Shahid, Jang’s Group Editor Shaheen Qureshi, senior journalist Shahab Ansari, Zaheer Anjum, Awais Qarni, Sher Ali Khalti, Mohammed Farooq, Akmal Bhatti, Aziz, Hafiz Asad, Munawar Hussain, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Shahid, Afzal Abbas, Wahab Khanzada and others.

They pointed out that raising a voice for the freedom of press has always been a ‘crime’ but Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman never shied away from standing against the tyrants. The speakers paid rich tributes to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for his stand against the enemies of the press freedom and pledged that protest of the journalists will continue till the freedom of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

In Peshawar, the representatives of the trader community demanded the immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as the media workers continued the protest to register anger at the illegal detention of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief.

They visited the protest camp being staged outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV. The traders’ leaders expressed solidarity with the media workers who had gathered at the spot headed by Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik. The protesters were carrying placards and banners. They raised slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after accusing them of joining hands to victimize the biggest media group of the country.

President of the Tajir Ittehad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mujib-ur-Rehman, heads of various business centres of Peshawar, including Shaukatullah Hamdard, Mian Muhammad Akhtar, Aftab Ahmad, Zaffar Minhas, Muhammad Shaukat, Falak Niaz, Malik Sanaullah, Nisar Khan, Nasiruddin Hashmi, Waheed Khan, Muhammad Aziz, Shahid Khan spoke on the occasion. The speakers said the government was taking out anger at the Jang Group in bid to pressure the media into submission. They said putting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman behind bars was meant to convey a warning to other media houses to stop reporting the truth or else get ready for such actions. The speakers said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been arrested in a 34 years old property case on flimsy grounds and demanded his immediate release. Senior journalist Arshad Aziz Malik said the Jang Group headed by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for pursuing independent journalism. He hoped all such pressure tactics would fail. In Bahawalpur, the members of Bahawalpur Union of Journalists and Daily Jang, Geo News and The News Workers Action Committee staged a demonstration against the arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his immediate release. The protesters led by former Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists vice president Ameen Abbasi chanted slogans against the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a 34-year-old fake case. The protesters also took out a rally to register their protest.

Addressing the protesters, Ameen Abbasi, BhUJ senior vice president Amin Basit and general secretary Rashid Hashmi condemned the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and termed it a conspiracy against the freedom of press.

In Karachi, the journalists, trade unionists, civil society and political parties continued their protest demonstration on its 96th day on Wednesday, demanding release of Jang-Geo Group’s Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and an end to the federal government’s vengeful campaign against the independent media. Speaking to the demonstration, All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga said that this undue long detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has unveiled the designs of Prime Minister Imran Khan to muzzle the independent media. Kanga said that the National Accountability Bureau has proved that it is just a tool in the malicious campaign that the federal government is running against the free press. He said that Mir Shakil is paying the price for resisting the government’s campaign to hide the truth from the public.

Former president, Karachi Union of Journalists and Geo News Bureau Chief Fahim Siddiqui said that once this draconian government is over, Khan and his cohorts will be held accountable for their wrongdoings that have threatened the country by ill thought out policies to manage Covid-19 health disaster and its consequent economic fallout on the people. The News Employees Union general secretary Dara Zafar said that the Jang Geo Action Committee and the cross section of society will continue their protest until the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Javed Press Employees Union general secretary Rana Yusuf said that despite all the pressure tactics, the government had not been able to humble Rahman and dissuade him from his righteous mission. He said that the whole world was condemning the unlawful arrest and demanding justice but the government had turned blind in its vendetta against the free press.