Jang/Geo workers continue protest against arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

RAWALPINDI/KARACHI/PESHAWAR: A peaceful demonstration of the workers of the Geo and Jang Group on the call of the Joint Action Committee continued on Tuesday against the unjustified and illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The prayers for the release and for health of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman were also offered during the demonstration of workers of Geo and Jang Group in Rawalpindi.

The demonstration of the workers of Geo and Jang Group outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi was attended by Chairman Joint Action Committee and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Magazine Editor Jang Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Amjad Ali Abbassi, Malik Nusrat, Munir Shah, Naseerul Haq, Rahat Munir, Kamal Shah, Muzzafar Bhatti, Laeq Shaukat and other workers of Geo and Jang Group.

In Lahore, the protesting Jang Group employees said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is in the lock-up for the last four months and sounded hopeful that good news was just round the corner.

Jang’s Group Editor Shaheen Qureshi said, “Efforts of ‘soldiers’ fighting for freedom of press will bear fruit – Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will soon be freed”. He lauded civil society’s efforts in this connection. He said truth will triumph over lies and the editor-in-chief will be absolved from all charges. Jang’s Chief Reporter Maqsood Butt said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has proven he is courageous. “He will soon win the case, InshaAllah. He will shine like the sun,” he added.

In Peshawar, media workers of the Jang/Geo Group continued the protest against the illegal detention of their Editor-in-Chief.

They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. Chanting slogans against the government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the workers lamented that the head of the biggest media group of the country had been under custody for the last 118 days without any crime. They recalled that the leaders and representatives of almost all the major political parties and organisations had visited their camps.

The protesters said each and every one including prominent legal experts and lawyers had termed Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention illegal and unconstitutional but still the government and authorities had adopted mum over the ongoing injustices with the Editor-in-Chief of the Jang Group. The workers said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been arrested even when the investigations into the 34 years old property case had not been completed. It, they said, was also astonishing to note that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was cooperating with the NAB and all the documents had been in the possession of the Bureau but still he was denied justice. The speakers, including Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Shah Zaman and others said Mir Shakil would not bow to the rulers pressure who were bent on strangulating independent voice of the media.

Former Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan legislator Kamran Farooqi on Tuesday said that the government had made a suicide attack on the independent media by arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. He said that the public had become fed up with the government policies and wanted it to go away.

He said that his MQM-P Organisation for Restoration of Committee chief, Dr Farooq Sattar, had directed all his party leaders and workers to stand with the employees of Jang-Geo Group in their campaign for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

He appreciated the patience and will of the Jang-Geo editor-in-chief, who has not succumbed to the government pressure despite this long detention and setbacks that the life threw in his way. Protesters hopeful Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will be free soon.