Protests against imprisonment of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman: Journalists pledge to resist moves against Jang-Geo Group

KARACHI/RAWALPINDI/ PESHAWAR: The journalists and workers of the Geo-Jang Group, while protesting against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Editor-in-Chief of the Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, vowed to resist all the moves against the group and to stand with their Editor-in-Chief.

The journalists and workers of Geo-Jang Group, along with journalist organizations, representatives of civil society and political workers, continued their protest against the illegal and unjustified arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on the 118th day.

At the demonstration outside the offices of Jang and The News in Rawalpindi, the protesters chanted slogans and raised placards for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and against the restrictions on the freedom of media. Those who attended the demonstration included Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Secretary General RIUJ Asif Ali Bhatti, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Rahat Munir, Munir Shah Kamal Shah, Nusrat Malik, Amjad Abbassi, Aslam Butt, Nadeem Khan, Sardar Heera Lal, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, and other workers of Jang and The News.

They said the workers of the Geo-Jang Group will continue protest till the release of Editor-in-Chief Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. Meanwhile, in Karachi the protesters were joined in solidarity by senior journalist and columnist Suhail Hashmi, who remarked that the government wanted to suppress the independent media due to which it was coming after the media owners who did not toe its line.

Hashmi said that the Jang-Geo Group was the torchbearer of journalism in the country and he was being punished by instituting false and fabricated cases against this group. He added that the government’s plan to control the media will never see the light of day.

All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation Secretary General Shakil Yamin Kanga said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for the sins he never committed. Kanga added that the government had failed in providing relief to the public, instead their situation had worsened.

The General Secretary Association of Camera Journalists Farhan Ilyas said that the previous dictatorial regimes, including that of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, failed to bring the independent media outfits under their control. He lauded the resilience of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in the face of pressure.

In Peshawar, the members of the journalist community demanded the release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. They staged the protest outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV at the Khyber Super Market. They chanted slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for employing pressure tactics against the free media.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Jang Resident Editor Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Khalid Kheshgi, Farmanullah Jan, Sabz Ali Shah, Gohar Ali, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Ihtesham Toru, Rahamdil and others. The protesters flayed the PTI government for detaining Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on false charges and keeping him interned for the last six months. They deplored that he was being victimised for pursuing independent journalism.

The protesters slammed the National Accountability Bureau for its biased approach of moving against the opposition parties and gagging the independent media. The protesters requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.