(Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention)..Jang/Geo workers vow to resist fascist attitude

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR: The journalists and workers of Geo and Jang Group during the protest against the illegal and unjust arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman vowed to resist the fascist attitude towards media and said that all the journalists are united to protect the freedom of media in the country.The protesters also made it clear that all the journalist, human rights organisations and political workers are standing united with Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and to protect the constitutional right of the freedom of expression and media.

The countrywide protest of the Jang/Geo journalists and workers along with journalist organisations, representatives of civil society, human rights activists and political workers against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has been going on for the last 167 days.

At the protest camp outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi on Thursday, the protesters raised the slogans for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and against the conspiracies of closing the Geo and Jang Group.

Addressing the protest, Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi said the restrictions on the freedom of media is being imposed due to fascist attitude of those who did not like the facts be brought before the people of Pakistan.

He said the incumbent government after coming into power started to target the Geo and Jang Group.

He said not only every workers of Geo and Jang Group but also the journalists of the country stand with Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in the struggle for the freedom of media in the country. Chairman Joint Action Committee of Geo and Jang Group Islamabad and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti said all the journalist organisations stand with the workers of the Geo and Jang group in the movement for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who was being victimised of someone’s personal ego.

He said the protest will continue till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Resident Editor Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid said Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being kept in detention illegally because of personal ego of someone.

He said despite facing difficulties and hardships, Geo and Jang Group keep the torch of freedom of media in the country. Secretary General RIUJ and senior correspondent Geo News Islamabad Asif Ali Bhatti said the journalists and workers of the Geo and Jang Group made a record of holding peaceful protest against the illegal and unjust arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman that has been continuing for last 167 days.

He said all the press clubs of Pakistan stand united with the workers of Geo and Jang group against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has taken principled stance of freedom of media in the country and refused to make any compromise on his principled stance. Senior Magazine Editor Jang Farooq Aqdas said the workers of Geo and Jang Group are leading the movement for the freedom of media in the country.

Worker of Jang Group Amjad Ali Abbasi said the illegal and unjustified arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a fake and fabricated case only brings the black dots on the present government.

In Lahore, senior journalists, civil society leaders, office-bearers of media unions and Jang Workers Union accused the PTI government of undermining the media freedom through detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman under the NAB custody for the last 166 days without finding any proof of their charges.

Staging a demonstration outside the Jang Offices Thursday at the protest camp of the Jang, Geo and The News employees for the 144th consecutive day, they regretted Prime Minister Imran Khan, who came to power claiming to make Pakistan a Madina-like state had been victimising Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for exposing the corruption and bad governance of the PTI regime.

They said there was no progress in investigations into the corruption charges regarding 34-year-old property exchange matter against him nor any formal case registered. The protesters termed it a blatant attack on media freedom, shouted slogans against the fascist PTI regime and condemned the anti-media tactics of the NAB.

They demanded the Supreme Court chief justice for taking a suo motu notice against this gross injustice which was a direct attack on the freedom of expression and liberty of media. They vowed continuing struggle till the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Those who participated in the protest included Jang Workers Union Secretary General Farooq Malik, Pakistan Times News Editor Zaheer Anjum, Awais Qarni, Ms Aisha, Shafiq Ahmad, Faizan Bangash, Aziz Sheikh, Munawwar Hussain, Shahid Aziz, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Ali, Hafiz Asad, Akmal Bhatti, Afzal Abbas, Mushtaq and others.

Zaheer Anjum termed the PTI government the worst kind of fascist and authoritarian regime bent upon gagging the voice of media to prevent exposure of its own corruption and bad governance.

Shafiq Ahmad said media cannot work for the truth without freedom as it played the role of watchdog for the society. He noted that such victimisations were forced by dictators like Gen Ayub Khan, Gen Zia, Gen Pervez Musharraf, in the past, and now media workers were being victimised by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was selected by the establishment to curb media. He said the whole world knew the truth that Imran was selected in sham elections and was now proving that he was not the representative of the masses. Farooq Malik said victimisation of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman must come to an end after detention of over five months, and he should be released as his arrest was a symbolic move to usurp media freedom.

Muhammad Ali said the editor-in-chief 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. He said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was meant to suppress the independent media and it was an illegal detention since he had always kept his financial dealings clean and its proof was that no government could ever found any doubtful deal done by him. 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 media workers renewed the demand for the release of the Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, as they continued the protest against his arrest on Thursday.

The protesters gathered at the Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV offices to voice anger at the continued incarceration of the head of the largest media group of the country. They held banners inscribed with slogans and were critical of the detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last over five months. Those who addressed the protesters included Daily Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Sabz Ali Shah, Ihtesham Toru, Gohar Ali and others.

The speakers said the Jang Group chief had been detained for the last 169 days on cooked-up charges. They said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was following a hostile policy against opposition political parties and the free media. The speakers said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was illegal, adding he was being punished for not kneeling down before the rulers and defying the official pressures. They said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was biased against free media houses and favouring those in the ruling party. The protesters said the NAB had failed to act against those involved in the mega corruption scandals and was instead targeting the government opponents and the free media. They requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to intervene in the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who was being treated unfairly.