Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention: Jang/Geo workers stand firm in struggle for media freedom

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: The protest demonstration of the journalists and workers of Geo and Jang Group against the illegal arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continued on Thursday as they pledged to stand united in the movement of justice for Mir-Shakil-ur-Rahman and to foil all the conspiracies against the group.

At the protest camp of outside the offices of the Geo and The News in Rawalpindi, the journalists’ organisations, cross section of civil society and political workers joined the protest demonstration of the journalists and workers of the Geo and Jang Group.

The protestors chanted slogans against the illegal and unjust arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his release.

Addressing the protest demonstration, Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi said the workers of Geo and Jang Group have written a new page in the history with their struggle in the cause of the freedom of media in the country.

Chairman Joint Action Committee of workers of Geo and Jang Group and President Jang Workers Union Rawalpindi Nasir Chisti said that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has played a historical role in the just cause of the freedom of the media in the country.

Secretary General Rawalpindi Union of Journalists Asif Ali Bhatti said the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, international journalists and human right organisations have unanimously declared the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman only meant to bring the Pakistan media under control and demanded his release immediately. Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir said the workers of Geo and Jang Group were demanding freedom that is guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan. Among others, who also participated in the protest camp in Rawalpindi included Nusrat Malik, Kamal Shah, Naseerul Haq, Azhar Sulatn, Aslam Butt, Athar Naqvi and other social and political workers besides the workers of Jang and The News.

In Lahore, the journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and Jang Workers Union continued protesting against the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who is under detention for the last 209 days.

Staging demonstration outside the Jang Offices Thursday at the protest camp for 187th consecutive day, they criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking U-turn on his tall claims of over 20 years to turn Pakistan into a Madina-like state, alleging that he used the slogan only to woo media support to come to power. They said actually Imran had been victimising Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for exposing the corruption and bad governance of the PTI regime. They regretted that editor-in-chief was detained despite no progress made in investigations into the corruption charges regarding 34-year-old property exchange matter. The protesters termed it a blatant attack on media freedom and a conspiracy to close down country’s largest media group. They shouted slogans against the fascist government and condemned anti-media tactics of the NAB.

They demanded the chief justice to take a suo motu notice against this gross injustice which was a direct attack on the freedom of expression and liberty of media. They demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and threatened to launch anti-government movement across the country if he was not released.

Jang Workers Union’s Secretary General Malik Farooq Awan, Saifur Rehman editor reporting The News, Pakistan Times News Editor Zaheer Anjum, senior journalists Muhammad Shafiq, Awais Qarni, minority leader Aslam Pervaiz Sahutra, Ayesha Akram, Munawwar Hussain, Shahid Aziz, Muhammad Ali, Akmal Bhatti, Afzal Abbas and Shahzad Rauf were prominent among the protesters.

In Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur Union of Journalists (BhUJ) and Bahawalpur Press Club members and office-bearers on Thursday staged a demonstration against the illegal arrest of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

The protest was led by former VP of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Muhammad Ameen Abbasi, Bahawalpur Union of Journalists (BhUJ) general secretary Rasheed Hashmi and finance secretary Asif Kabeer. The protesters condemned the illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and demanded his immediate release.

In Peshawar, journalists demanded the release of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman as they continued the protest against his arrest.

A senior journalist and President of the Peshawar Press Club, Syed Bukhar Shah, led the protest which was staged outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV. The protesters had banners and placards and sought the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who had been arrested on March 12, this year in a false case.

Syed Bukhar Shah, Arshad Aziz Malik, Shakeel Farman Ali, Farmanullah Jan, Amjad Safi, Rasool Dawar, Sabz Ali Shah, Imdad Ali Qazalbash, Gulzar Khan, Khalid Kheshgi and others spoke on the occasion. The speakers flayed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for victimizing the Jang Media Group by arresting Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who headed this largest media house of the country.

The speakers expressed concern over the fact that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had been detained for the last 211 days in a case which was over three decades old and had no substance. They came down hard on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting the opposition political parties and the independent media. The speakers deplored that the NAB was going aggressively after the opposition political parties but was silent over massive corruption committed allegedly by those in the ruling party.

They pointed to the wheat flour, sugar, Malam Jabba land, Billion Tree Tsunami and Bus Rapid Transit Project scandals in support of their point. The protesters appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman who was going to complete almost seven months in detention.