Protests continue against arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

RAWALPINDI: Journalists and workers of the Geo-Jang Group continued their protest on Monday against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo-Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. The countrywide protests and demonstrations of journalists and workers of the Geo-Jang Group have been continuing for the last 129 days.

The protesters chanted slogans and raised placards against the illegal dentation of Editor-in-Chief of Geo-Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and called for his early release from unjustified arrest.

The protest was participated by Chairman Joint Action Committee of workers of Geo-Jang Group and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chisti, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Magazine Editor Jang Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Secretary General RIUJ Asif Ali Bhatti, Ms Rubina Shaheen, Laeq Shaukat, Munir Shah, Amjad Ali Abbassi, Malik Nusrat besides workers of Jang and The News.

Addressing the protesters, they said the workers stood with Editor-in-Chief of Geo-Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They said that the workers will foil all the conspiracies of the rulers against the group. They said the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was only meant to mute the voice of freedom of media.

They said not only the voices for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman were being raised in the country but also the international human rights organizations, international journalist organizations and intellectuals were also declaring the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as illegal and declaring it an attack on the freedom of media.

PESHAWAR: The workers of Jang-Geo Group continued to protest on Monday against the arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, they urged the government to release Mir Shakil forthwith and withdraw the cases against him. They chanted slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for detaining Mir Shakil in a 34-year-old property case without fulfilling all the legal formalities. Quoting the constitutional experts, the workers deplored the role of NAB, which they said had no jurisdiction to detain a citizen in a private property case. They said the NAB was doing so on the directives of the rulers, who wanted to suppress the independent voice of the media. The speakers, including Daily Jang Peshawar Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali and others, recalled that the government was pressurising the media to sack some journalists which was not acceptable to them. Terming the arrest of Mir Shakil an attack on the independent press, they said NAB should have held the ones accountable involved in mega corruption scandals including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Malam Jabba, Billion Tsunami Tree, sugar and flour crises and the former adviser on information Ajmal Wazir, who was removed on the charges of corruption.

The speakers appealed to the chief justice Supreme Court to take notice of the ongoing injustices with Mir Shakil, who was cooperating with NAB but was detained even when the investigations were not yet completed. They said that it was the first case in which an accused was arrested without registering a case against him. The protesters warned to expand the protest movement if their demands were not accepted. They urged the government to release Mir Shakil and withdraw the cases against him and stop economic murder of the media workers.

LAHORE: Senior journalists and workers of the Jang-Geo Group lodged a protest against the arrest of Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his immediate release on Monday. The protest was staged amid heavy rain outside the Jang offices on the Davis Road. Senior journalist Shaheen Qureshi, Zaheer Anjum, Naseem Qureshi, Shahab Ansari, Secretary Jang Workers Union Muhammad Farooq and workers of the Jang-Geo Group participated in the protest. The speakers were of the unanimous view that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest by the NAB is a manifestation of government’s fascist attitude, which is condemnable. They said the rulers are trying to manage the media according to their wishes. They termed the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman a kidnapping for ransom. They warned the government to refrain from illegal acts and release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, otherwise they will have to take the right step.

The senior journalists asked the government to stop the economic murder of journalists. They said it’s practically the fifth martial law and there’s an undergoing conspiracy against the parliament. Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is fighting the war for democracy and independence of the media and has been put behind the bars for this crime. They said he would never bow before the fascist government. They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is behind the bars without any FIR or crime. They appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the situation and help release the editor-in-chief. The protesters also chanted slogans against the NAB and the government.