Jang/Geo workers continue protest against MSR's illegal arrest

LAHORE: Carrying banners and shouting slogans demanding the release of Jang/Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, workers of Pakistan's largest media group continued their protest against MSR's unlawful arrest on Saturday.

Protesters urged the government to release MSR immediately and withdraw cases against him. They chanted slogans against the nexus of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the PTI government.

Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has been arrested in a case pertaining to a 34-year-old property transaction that has nothing to do with the government, said Awais Qarni. 

Shaheen Qureshi, editor Jang Group, said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is an attack on independent media. He asked opposition parties to raise their voice and said silence is a crime. 

Free media and democracy go hand-in-hand and the government is trying to weaken democracy by curbing media, he added. Qureshi demanded that the government pay dues of media so that media workers could be paid their salaries.

He said the circle of protest would be widened next week, urging the government to face the truth and restrain from adopting a fascist attitude. 

Qureshi said the PTI government could not face facts and truth. He said the present ruler is running the government with a dictatorial attitude, demanding the early release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

Zaheer Anjum said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman will never bow before any power as he is the custodian of freedom of expression and freedom of media. Khizar Hayat Gondal said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is the torch-bearer of freedom of journalism and his arrest is illegal and unjust. 

Sher Ali Khalti said the opposition should come forward to save freedom of expression. There is no concept of democracy without freedom of media. Media plays a vital role to strengthen democracy. He said they would continue to protest till Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman's release.

Zahid Ali Khan, Naveed Ahmed, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Mushtaq, Muhammad Farooq and others were present in the protest as well.

Originally published in The News