Protests against Mir Shakilur Rahman’s detention continue for the 50th day

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR/KARACHI/LAHORE/MULTAN: The countrywide protests by the Geo-Jang Group workers along with the cross-section of civil society, political workers and journalists organisations against the arrest of Geo Jang Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakilur Rahman continued on the 50th day on Friday.

The demonstrators pledge to continue the protests till the release of MSR and lifting of draconian curbs by the government against the freedom of expression and independence of media.

Rawalpindi

At the Rawalpindi protesters camp near the offices of Jang and The News, the protesters held placards inscribed with their demands and raised slogans for the release of Editor-in-Chief of Geo-Jang Group Mir Shakilur Rahman.

Addressing the demonstrators, Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Nasir Zaidi said that the arrest of MSR was an attack on the freedom of media and like the international human rights and media organisations, now Pakistan’s human rights organisations and journalists are also describing the arrest as smacking of a plot to strong arm the independent media.

Zaidi asserted that the protest will continue till the release of Editor-in-Chief and achieving the freedom of media. He added: “If the government feels that they have succeeded in subduing the free media, they do not seem to have learnt anything from the past when dictators attempted such tactics and miserably failed against a resilient journalist fraternity.”

Editor Reporting Jang Rana Ghulam Qadir stated that democracy could not flourish in any country without free media. With the illegal and unjust arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Geo-Jang Group, Qadir said the government wants to warn free media to fall in line and that there is no room for an independent press.

“This very message has galvanised the journalist fraternity to protest against the curbs from Khyber to Karachi,” he maintained.

Chairman Joint Action Committee of Workers of Geo-Jang Group and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chishti lamented that the Labour Day was being observed all over the world but in Pakistan the media was facing tough restrictions.

“Despite the passage of 50 days, the morale of Mir Shakil[ur-Rehman] remains in high spirits and he has outrightly refused to bow before the illegal demands,” he added.

In this regard, Obaid Abbassi of PML-N Youth Wing highlighted that the NAB-Niazi nexus has been further exposed with the illegal arrest of Geo-Jang Group Editor-in-Chief.

Lahore

In Lahore, the protesters also raised slogans and condemned the rulers for their unwarranted excesses against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to silence the free press.

Senior journalists Shaheen Qureshi, Raees Ansari, Malik Zahoor Awan, Ghulam Bilal and the representatives of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union demanded immediate release of MSR.

The speakers belonging to the union communicated that they had especially come to join the protest camp for expressing solidarity with the workers of Jang-Geo Group and media community in general on the labour day.

Meanwhile, veteran journalist Azhar Munir, 65, continued his month-long hunger strike against the unjust arrest of Mir Shakilur Rahman. Despite physical weakness, Azhar Munir is observing the hunger strike outside the Lahore Press Club for highlighting the restrictions against independent press, freedom of expression and the attack on free media by arresting Mir Shakilur Rahman.

Peshawar

In Peshawar, the media workers continued the protest outside the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo against the arrest their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakilur Rahman.

They carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. They raised slogans against the government and called for releasing Mir Shakilur Rahman on immediate basis.

The speakers severely criticised the government for arresting the Jang-Geo Group's Editor-in-Chief in a 34-year old property case which was long settled legally between the two private parties.

The Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah said Rahman's arrest exemplifies the rulers’ intention to gag the independent press.

“Jang-Geo Group was the largest media group of the country and enjoys respect for paying the workers on time,” the senior journalist said, lamenting that the government withheld the advertisements and arrears of the major media group due to which the group could not pay the salaries on time.

He also demanded an immediate release of dues to the Jang Group so that the problems of workers could end after payment of salaries.

Resident Editor of Daily Jang, Arshad Aziz Malik, pointed out to the human rights organisations reports and deplored that wrongs were being committed against the major media group.

The Geo News Bureau Chief Shakeel Farman Ali likened MSR’s arrest to an attack on the independent media which, he said, would be resisted.

Karachi

Addressing the labour rally in Karachi on Friday, the All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation’s secretary general Shakil Yamin Kanga demanded the release of Jang Geo editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rahman and said that all the trade unionists and advocates of democracy were standing with the employees of the Jang Geo Group in their campaign to sustain the independence of media.

A considerable demonstration was held outside the Karachi Press Club on the occasion of the International Labor Day, which expressed deep concern over the curbs on media, the policies and performance of the government during the COVID-19 lockdown, rising inflation and unemployment in the country.

he Jang Geo Action committee attended the demonstration on the invitation of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF).

The NTUF deputy general secretary Nasir Mansoor said that the government was targeting the Jang Geo Group which was to cover its incompetency. He noted that the at one hand unemployment was on the rise and on the other the government was crippling industries for personal gains.

HBWWF general secretary Zehra Khan asked the government what it wanted to achieve through muzzling the media which only reflected the facts on the ground against the government claims.

Pakistan Institute of Labour Research executive director Karamat Ali asked the government to stop its vendetta against the Jang-Geo Group and demanded payments of the dues to the Jang-Geo group.

“The government was using advertisements as a tool to hurt the independent media organisations,” he lambasted.

Peoples Labour Bureau leader Habib Uddin Junaidi demanded the release of Mir Shakilur Rahman and said that this anti-worker policy of the government must stop.

He went on to say that workers were going through severe financial hardships because of the economic situation, lack of basic facilities, exploitation and uncertain future.

The News Union general secretary Dara Zafar said that the government must listen to the demands of this rally of workers and release Mir Shakilur Rahman.

Demanding immediate release of the Editor-In-Chief Geo News Karachi Bureau Chief Fahim Siddiqui warned that the journalists and workers were on the same page against the government’s agenda to muzzle the press.

Multan

In Multan, the workers of daily Jang, The News and Geo News continued their protest against the illegal arrest of their Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakilur Rahman. A large number of trader’s bodies’ representatives visited the camp and expressed solidarity with the Jang-Geo Group.

The traders strongly condemned the arrest of Mir Shakilur Rahman and demanded his release. Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and traders’ representative Mian Imran Arshad said that free media was the lifeline for democracy, but the government was determined to bulldoze the fourth pillar of the state.

He said that Mir Shakilur Rahman was arrested without registration of any FIR and demanded his early release.

Originally published in The News