Countrywide protests: Journalists demand unconditional release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

KARACHI/RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: The journalists and workers of Jang-Geo Group in their countrywide protests against the illegal arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Tuesday reiterated their resolve to continue the struggle for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and for the freedom of media in the country.

The media workers were joined in solidarity by the Federal Union of Journalists, other journalist organizations, representatives of civil society and political workers, who dubbed the unjustified arrest of Mir Shakil for the last 158 days, as smacking of personal vendetta.

At a protest outside the offices of the Jang and The News in Rawalpindi which has been declared as the freedom street, the speakers called for his unconditional release. Addressing the demonstration, the speakers said while they can arrest Mir Shakil, they can never forc him to give up his commitment to the free and independent media. The protesters included Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Joint Action Committee and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chistsi, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Magazine Editor Jang Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Secretary General RIUJ and Senior Correspondent Geo News Asif Ali Bhatti, Secretary General Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Khalid Mehmood and others.

In Karachi, the protesters camp was addressed among others by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Mufti Faizul Haq, who said Rahman was being persecuted for exposing the sugar, wheat and power mafias that have bled the masses dry. He reiterated his party's support to the protesting employees of the Jang-Geo Group and said that the campaign will continue until the release of Mir Shakil. The JUI-F leader said the government was replicating dictatorial practices and has made the life for independent journalists and political opponents difficult.

Javed Press Employees Union's general secretary Rana Yusuf said that Prime Minister Imran Khan did not seem sincere in resolving the issues concerning the public who have put him into power. All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation's secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga, The News Employees Union's general secretary Dara Zafar also denounced the prolonged detention of the group’s editor-in-chief.

In Peshawar, the members of the journalist community and the staff of the Jang-Geo Group gathered outside the daily Jang, The News and Geo TV offices at the Khyber Super Market with banners and placards and raised slogans. They were critical of the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and victimization of his Jang Group, which is the largest media group of the country.

Among the speakers were Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Farmanullah Jan, Ihtesham Toru, Qaisar Khan, Gulzar Khan and others. They said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been behind bars since March 12 in a property case. They said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was strangulating the free media eversince assuming power two years back.

In Lahore, the protest by media workers against the unlawful detention of the Geo-Jang Media Group’s Editor-in-Chief continued here Tuesday with demand of his immediate and honourable release.

The demonstrators from The News, Jang, Awaz and Geo News gathered at the protest camp set up outside the Geo News office on the Davis Road and while chanting slogans strongly criticised those behind the prolonged detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a decades old fake case.

The speakers, while terming his detention a result of NAB-Niazi nexus, appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the unlawful detention. They said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being victimised for raising voices of the oppressed and bringing the truth to light.