Workers continue protest against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest

PESHAWAR: The media workers of the Jang, Geo and The News continued the protest on Thursday against the illegal detention of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, urging the rulers to release Mir Shakil forthwith. The speakers, including the senior journalists, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman, Rizwan Sheikh, Imdad Qazalbash and others deplored the Lahore High Court had rejected the bail application of Mir Shakil. Quoting constitutional experts, the protesters said the NAB had no justification to detain a citizen in a 34 years old property case.

Severely criticizing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the protesters said the government was trying to control independent media and opposition through such tactics but hoped such efforts would fail like in the past. Terming the arrest illegal and unconstitutional and an attack on the media, they said they would not allow any government to suppress the voice of the independent media and continue economic murder of workers. The speakers recalled that the editor-in-chief of the biggest media group of the country had been detained for the last 127 days in a 34 years old property case for which all legal requirements had been fulfilled. They said the so-called champions of change and reforms should have conducted accountability of the responsible people involved in Bus Rapid Transit, Malam Jabba, Billion Tree Tsunami, sugar and atta crisis and against the adviser to chief minister Ajmal Wazir.

The protesters said they would continue struggle till the release of Mir Shakil and withdrawal of cases against him. The workers appealed to the chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and provide him with justice.