Protest continues against illegal detention of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief

LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Senior journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and workers union of Jang Group Saturday held a demonstration against illegal detention of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 154 days.

The demonstration participants strongly condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for keeping Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in illegal detention in a politically motivated case for such a long time without finding any proof against him or making any progress in investigation.

The workers of Jang/Geo Group continued their protest camp outside the Jang offices on Saturday on the 132nd consecutive day.

They lamented that Prime Minister Imran Khan, who claims to make Pakistan a Madina-like state, had imprisoned Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman only for political reasons, as there had been no progress in investigation in the 34-year-old property exchange case.

The participants chanted slogans against the government and condemned illegal and anti-media tactics of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

They demanded the chief justice of Pakistan take suo motu action over the gross injustice, being meted out to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They warned that a direct action could be taken against the PTI government to deter it from pursuing dictatorial policies to curb freedom of expression and force economic murder of the media workers. They threatened to launch an anti-government movement across the country if the Editor-in-Chief was not released immediately.

Those who participated in the protest demonstration were Jang Workers Union Secretary General Farooq Malik, Pakistan Times News Editor Zaheer Anjum, Awais Qarni, Sher Ali Khalti, Aziz Sheikh, Munawwar Hussain, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Wajed, Wahab Khanzada, Akmal Bhatti, Hafiz Asad, Mohammad Ali, Afzal Abbas and others.

Zaheer Anjum termed the PTI government the worst kind of fascist and authoritarian regime, which was bent on gagging the media voice.

Farooq Malik said the media could not work for the truth without freedom, as it played the role of watchdog for society and the country.

Sher Ali said fake and fabricated case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should be withdrawn and he should be released. Awais Qarni said Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was a symbol of freedom of expression and the struggle was not only for his release but also for the freedom of media in future.

Muhammad Farooq said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for writing and reporting the truth, but the rulers would not be able to pressure him as he represented the free media. Munawwar Hussain said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman would always be known by the nation for his stand against the enemies of the press freedom.

In Peshawar, the workers of the Jang Group has renewed the demand for the release of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who has been behind bars for the last 156 days.

Carrying banners and placards, the workers of the Jang Group led by Resident Editor Daily Jang Peshawar Arshad Aziz Malik chanted slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for illegally detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The protesting media workers said that the government was using tactics to silence the largest media group in the country.

They alleged that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested without fulfilling the legal requirements, which showed that the government was using such tactics to stifle the press.

The government wanted to prevent the Jang Group from highlighting the truth and that was the only reason for arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a 34-year-old property case, they blamed.

They vowed that the Jang Group workers could not be prevented from speaking the truth through such tactics. The journalists vowed that they would continue the protest till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and the withdrawal of cases against him.

Arshad Aziz Malik, Ihtesham Toru, Fayyaz Aziz and others asked the chief justice of the Supreme Court to take notice of the injustice being meted out to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and provide him justice.