Countrywide protests against illegal detention of MSR continue

Countrywide protests against the illegal arrest and detention of Jang/Geo Media Group's Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman (MSR) continued on Saturday, with demonstrations entering their 87th day.

Protesters chanted slogans holding placards, calling for MSR's release and condemned the curbs on the freedom of media and condemned conspiracies to close down the Geo and Jang Group.

During the protest, the Imam of the Jang and The News offices, Qari Muhammad Jameel, prayed for Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman's release.

Addressing the protest outside the offices of Jang and The News at Murree Road in Rawalpindi, the speakers called for release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and vowed to continue their protest till his release.

The speakers including Secretary-General Pakistan Federal of the Unions of Journalists Nasir Zaidi, Chairman Editorial Committee Jang Rawalpindi Hanif Khalid, Chairman Joint Action Committee of workers of Geo and Jang Group Islamabad and President Jang Workers Union Nasir Chisti, Chief Reporter Jang Rawalpindi Rana Ghulam Qadir, Magazine Editor Jang Rawalpindi Farooq Aqdas, Amjad Abbasi, Munir Shah, Malik Nusrat, Abbbas Alam, Azhar Sultan, Zafar Bhatti. 

Addressing the protesters, the speakers said that the Geo and Jang Group always faced victimisation for bringing the truth before the people of Pakistan.

In Lahore, senior journalists, civil society leaders, office-bearers of media and trade union bodies continued their protest against illegal detention of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 87 days. 

Protesters termed the arrest an outcome of the “NAB-Niazi connivance” in a politically motivated case. They staged a demonstration outside the Jang offices on Saturday at the protest camp of workers of Jang, Geo and The News employees, set up on the call of the Joint Action Committee and Jang Employees Union for the release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the fifty-fourth consecutive day.

Protesters continued the demonstration despite the drizzle and raised slogans against the PTI government. They regretted that there was no progress either in investigations into the 34-year-old property exchange issue nor any formal case in this regard had been registered so far.

Those who participated in the protest included Shaheen Qureshi, Group Editor Jang Group, Secretary-General of Jang Workers Union Farooq Malik, Ishaq Shakir, senior journalist and news editor of Pakistan Times, Zaheer Anjum, Maqsood Butt, Sher Ali Khalti, Amer Malik, Awais Qarni, Khizr Hayat Gondal, Aziz Sheikh, Shahid Aziz, Munawwar Hussain and office-bearers of the Jang Employees Union and others.

Originally published in The News