Protest for Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s release continues

LAHORE/MULTAN: The protest of journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang Group against the arrest of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continued on Saturday.

Rahman has been detained for the last 211 days under the NAB custody over a 35-year old property exchange case without giving any proof of charges and without any progress in the investigations.

Staging a demonstration outside Jang offices, the participants criticized Prime Minister Imran Khan for victimizing Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for exposing the corruption and bad governance of the PTI government.

They termed it to a clear contradiction of the 'Medina-style government' the prime minister pledged to resurrect as his pre-election rhetoric. They raised slogans against the fascist PTI regime and demanded Mir Shakil's immediate release.

The participants of the protest included Secretary General of Jang Workers Union Farooq Awan, News Editor of Pakistan Times Zaheer Anjum, senior journalists Awais Qarni, Muhammad Shafiq, Sabir Awan, Munawwar Hussain, Shahid Aziz, Muhammad Ali, Akmal Bhatti, Afzal Abbas, Shahzad Rauf, Zahid Mehmood, Masood Ahmad and others.

Meanwhile, the Multan Union of Journalists, workers of Jang, Geo, The News and the civil society activists staged a demonstration against the illegal detention of the Group's Editor-in-Chief and demanded his immediate release. The protesters led by Jang Multan Resident Editor Zafar Aheer staged a demonstration on the Nusrat Road.

They were carrying banners and placards and chanted slogans against the prolonged detention. The journalists said the government is crushing free press in the country.

They said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is not only an attack on the free press but also a grave conspiracy against democracy. They said the government is conspiring to restrict the most popular media group in the country which was widely condemned around the world.

The journalists said the plight of freedom of the press is too vulnerable under the PTI rule and the government is determined to crush free press after destroying the other institutions.