Unions demand dues and release of Mir Shakil

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 3 May 2020

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists protested for media rights on World Press Freedom Day. They demanded the release of Mir Shakil and raised concerns regarding censorship and journalistic freedom.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Rawalpindi- Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) marked the World Press Freedom Day by demanding press freedom, service structure, clearance of dues, and immediate release of Jang-Geo boss Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

PFUJ, in collaboration with RIUJ, was holding a protest here to press for the fulfillment of its six demands.

All the other unions of journalists across the country also staged rallies.

PFUJ demanded the withdrawal of announced and unannounced censorship and press advices, reinstatement of retrenched journalists, clearance of dues, law for service structure in TV channels, the abolition of all rules and regulations devised to erode media and press freedom, restoration of 25 percent fixed quota for regional newspapers and cancellation of centralized policy, implementation of wage board award and relief package for media workers affected by COVID-19.

PFUJ also urged the government to immediately release of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group. It termed his detention in a 34 years old property case an attempt to gag and control mainstream media.

The body expressed concern about deteriorating media freedom. It said the leadership of PFUJ under its President Shahzada Zulfiqar was committed to fighting on all fronts for safeguarding media and press freedom, which is the hallmark of journalist community in the entire world including Pakistan.