Govt accused of victimizing Jang group
KARACHI, JANUARY 28: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Editor-in-Chief of the Jang group, has accused the government of pursuing a policy of victimisation against it in a bid to stop its publications from criticising the government’s acts of omission and commission.
He refuted the government’s claims that the actions taken by the authorities were not aimed at hitting at the freedom of the press and were meant only for the recovery of the taxes. Mir Shakil said he was prepared to face the government side on TV with his team to reply to all allegations.
Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, flanked by the editors of his various publications, said this while addressing a crowded press conference at Karachi Press Club on Thursday.
On the occasion a folio comprising details of the cases, references of 174 news reports published since Feb 28, 1997 and objections by the government, transcripts of dialogues, copies of the APNS and CPNE resolutions, etc, were distributed to show that it was not only a matter of tax recovery but the government was doing it with some other mala fide intentions.
The press conference was followed by a procession taken out by the employees of the group, representatives of the PFUJ, APNEC, writers, intellectuals and leaders from a cross section of society. The participants carried banners and raised slogans in support of the freedom of the press. After passing through the Aiwan-i-Saddar Road, the procession terminated at the Jang building on I.I. Chundrigar Road. In front of the Governor’s House the protesters were addressed by leaders of the workers of newspaper industry and journalists fraternity.
Earlier, during the press conference, a recording of dialogues between Saifur Rehman, Mushahid Hussain, Mujeebur Rehman Shami and Mir Shakil was played to prove the government’s demand for the removal of 14 senior journalists including the editors of some of the group’s publications.
“If there is democracy and freedom of the press in the country as was being claimed by Nawaz Sharif, the government should face us on TV. Had we been thief and dacoits, we would have not gone to the Supreme Court and had not won the case from the tribunal,” Mr Shakil said.
He said he did not want to confront the government and had even asked the authorities to forgive him. “But they have evil designs against the Jang group… he said adding that he did not care for his personal humiliation but they are after my life, my children, my group and my profession, its result would be harmful to democracy and the country.”
He said he was not aware how difficult it was to face the power of the state. But it was a question of the future of the profession and of thousands of families associated with it and he was, therefore, left with no choice. He said he had been facing this situation for the last seven months.
At the beginning of the press conference, Mir Shakil said: “The situation of the Jang group is before you. The pages of Jang and other publications have been reduced and perhaps from Saturday Jang will be of six pages and The News of 10 pages. My personal accounts and those of the publications and its directors have been frozen. The newsprint which was cleared by the customs authorities three days back, had not been released till Thursday.”
KUJ: The Karachi Union of journalists has condemned the government actions against Jang and demanded the withdrawal of the measures.
The KUJ at its emergency meeting adopted a resolution recalling that the government action had threatened the employment of thousands of its employees and urged the authorities to release the blocked supply of newsprint.
An action committee was also formed with KUJ President Warasat Hussain as its convener.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/29/1999
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