Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest: Protesters condemn tyrannical policies

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: The countrywide protest by workers of Geo and Jang Group entered the 115th day against the unjustified and illegal arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and the wider and draconian curbs against independent media on Monday. The protesters thanked the Pakistan Bar Council for its statement condemning the unjust arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and its leaders' announcement to attend the hearings of Rahman's bail petition in the Lahore High Court to express solidarity with the journalists. Terming free press as imperative for democracy, they decried it has been replaced with tyranny with low tolerance for truth and dissent.

At the protesters camp, a large number of workers at the call of Geo News and Jang Group Joint Action Committee along with journalist organizations, representatives of civil society and political workers staged a demonstration on the 115th day since the illegal arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman near the Jang Building in Rawalpindi and appealed to Chief Justice to take notice of delay in justice for him. They said the protests against the persecution of the editor-in-chief for his independent editorial policies and refusal to budge from those, are not only limited countrywide but have also drawn international attention and condemnation. They called for unconditional and honourable release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and withdrawal of the false and fabricated cases lodged against him. They also raised slogans and carried placards demanding his release and condemned the government's coercion of the free and independent media and the Geo and Jang Group.

Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Joint Action Committee of Workers of Geo and Jang Group Nasir Chisti, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Magazine Editor Jang Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Rahat Munir, Amjad Ali Abbassi, Malik Nusrat, Munir Shah, Naseerul Haq, Azhar Sultan, Kaleem Shamim and other workers of the Geo and Jang Group addressing the protest said the workers of the Group stand united with Rahman. They pledged to foil the conspiracies against the group. They said the Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, is leading the movement for the freedom of media in the country and the present rulers like the past dictators would fail to humble him to carry their version of the sanctioned truth. They said the government has failed to bring the independent media under control but have made it it clear to the country's media houses that they would be next in line if they do not toe the official line. They expressed the hope that the Editor-in-Chief will be released soon and will lead the movement for the freedom of media.

In Karachi, the former Pakistan People's Party MNA Aziz Memon remarked that the federal government wanted to take over the Jang-Geo Group by victimizing its editor-in-chief. Memon, who is also a leader of the All Pakistan Memon Federation, said that the whole business community stood by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and will not let the government’s malicious campaign succeed. He said that the Jang-Geo Group is the top media group of the country, which has a worldwide readership and viewership. He added that the group has a long history of serving Pakistan’s interests since its inception.

He said that the businessmen were considering moving their businesses abroad because of the policies of the government that had nearly destroyed the industries instead of uplifting them as promised before election. Memon said that in such times when the Jang-Geo Group reflected the public opinion through its news and bold editorials, the government started a vengeful campaign against it to hide the realities from the larger public. He said the government is bent on killing dissent in the country by making things tough for the independent media . He warned the government, that the business community, politicians, rights activists, students and trade unionists are united with the Jang-Geo Action Committee and demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and lifting of curbs against Jang Geo Group.

Likewise in Peshawar, the workers of Jang-Geo Group continued the protest against the arrest of the Editor-in-Chief. Carrying banners and placards, they chanted slogans against the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Former MPA and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) vice-president Dr Faiza Rashid visited the camp along with her supporters and office-bearers. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Faiza Rashid said they do not accept the discriminatory accountability by the prime minister and his government. She deplored that the selected ruler have now begun to strangulate the media, which had made him a leader. Dr Rashid said the present rulers had left behind dictators in their anti-media policy. She demanded the immediate release of Mir Shakil and withdrawal of cases against him. Senior journalists including Arshad Aziz Malik, Bureau Chief Geo News Shakeel Farman Ali and others also condemned the continued detention of Mir Shakil and demanded his immediate release and withdrawal of cases against him.

Also in Mingora, Swat, the journalists staged a protest against the illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman at the Swat Press Club and expressed solidarity with him. Speaking on the occasion, President of the Swat Union of Journalists and others said that democracy could not sustain without a free media, and added that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was fighting for the freedom of the independent media. "He is the icon of media freedom who has braved the worst persecution against the group and his person. His illegal detention is aimed at silencing those voices struggling for free and fair media," said Geo's Mahboob Ali. “It is the right time to raise voice for the honourable release of the Editor-in-Chief as the fascist government is busy suppressing the free and independent voices," said Ghulam Farooq, Chief organizer, Swat Press Club. The NAB is being used as a tool to pressurize Rahman to subdue him to quit his independent editorial policies, said Shahzad Alam, President of the Swat Press Club. "But it will never succeed to meet these goals," he said. Others who spoke on this the occasion included senior journalists, Sheraz Khan, Subhaullah, Haider Ali Jan, Akhtar Gul and Fazal Rahim Khan.

In Lahore, Senior journalists, civil society leaders, office- bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang Group have condemned what they called NAB-Niazi nexus under which Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has been detained in a politically-motivated case for the last 115 days without any progress.

They staged demonstration outside the Jang Offices Monday at the protest camp of the workers of Jang, Geo and The News set up for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the 91st consecutive day. They regretted those claiming to make Pakistan a Madina-like state have incarcerated Mir Shakil-ur- Rahman just for victimisation despite that there was no progress either in investigations into the 34-year-old property exchange charges against him nor any formal case registered.

They demanded the Chief Justice of Pakistan take a suo motu action against this gross injustice. They vowed to continue struggle for Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s release till his freedom. They demanded immediate release of Mir Shakil-ur- Rahman and warned that any direct action could be taken against the PTI government for stopping it from pursuing dictatorial policies and forcing economic murder of media workers for long. They threatened to launch anti-government movement against the government across the country if he was not released.

Those who joined the protest camp included Jang’s Group Editor Shaheen Qureshi, Jang Workers Union Secretary General Farooq Malik, veteran journalist, writer and civil rights campaigner Azhar Munir, Zaheer Anjum, Jang’s chief reporter Maqsood Butt, Amir Taimur Malik, Awais Qarni, Shahab Ansari, Amjad Farooq Kallu, Sohail Iqbal, Aziz Sheikh, Shahid Aziz, Munawwar Hussain, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Wajed, Wahab Khanzada, Akmal Bhatti, Hafiz Asad, Mohammed Ali and Afzal Abbas.

Shaheen Qureshi termed the PTI government fascist and the worst kind of authoritarian regime that was bent upon gagging the voice of independent media to prevent its own corruption and maladministration from reaching public. He warned that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was the first casualty in the PTI government’s stifling media policy, while other owners of the media houses were the next target. He said gagging the voice of media would become an easy target for the ruling elite and establishment when few top-ranking media houses would either be closed down or badly reduced to size with a little number of employees left. He said media owners must realise that unless they empower their workers and professional journalists their own strength would be seriously curtailed, and they would become an easy prey for the establishment and ruling elite, adding that the case of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should serve as an eye-opener for all media houses owners.

He said media cannot work for the truth without freedom, as it played the role of watchdog for the society and country. He noted that such victimisations were forced by dictators like Gen Ayub Khan, Gen Ziaul Haq, Gen Pervez Musharraf, in the past, and now media workers were being victimised by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was selected by the establishment to curb media. He said the whole world knew the truth that Imran was selected in sham elections and was now proving that he was not the representative of the masses and democracy. Azhar Munir announced to court arrest during the protest but on the request of Shaheen Qureshi and senior journalists he postponed it for one day.

Zaheer Anjum said “editor-in-chief should be released as his arrest was a symbolic move to usurp media freedom. Already the results were coming out and the arrest was leading towards the crumbling of media itself after muzzling freedom of expression, which was evident from the closure of noted news channels and retrenchment of workers in other channels recently”. Maqsood Butt said the fabricated case against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman should be withdrawn and he should be released. He warned that if the editor-in-chief was not released then the protest would increase creating more problems for the government. He said the government instead of tackling the coronavirus and providing relief to the starving people under lockdown, was busy in curbing the voice of media and victimising the media owners. He said the Jang Group always reported the truth. He said the PTI government was using pressure tactics for subduing the press and Jang Group was bearing the brunt being the largest media house in the country.

Farooq Malik said Shakil-ur-Rahman is symbol of freedom of expression and this struggle is not only for his release but also for the freedom of media in future. He warned that this campaign would continue against the puppet rulers even after his release since it was a conspiracy against the journalists and the freedom of expression. He said everybody in the country who struggled for the freedom of expression was Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. He warned that if he was not released immediately, then journalists would stage protests outside the National Assembly, Punjab Assembly and all major cities in the country. He said journalists would continue to struggle against the government for the sake of freedom of expression like Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman had not bowed down or made a compromise with the rules so far.

Amjad Farooq Kallu said the arrest of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was not only a conspiracy against the Geo and Jang Group but also first step to mute all the voices of the independent media. He said the journalists staging hunger strikes have proved that they would win this battle also as they had achieved success in the past against the military dictators. He said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is the voice of suppressed people and voice of democracy.

Awais Qarni said Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was being punished for writing and reporting the truth but the rulers would not be able to pressure him as he represented the free media. The protesters paid rich tributes to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for his stand against the enemies of the press freedom. They also shouted slogans against the fascist regime and condemned the illegal and anti-media tactics being used by the rulers through the NAB.