HYDERABAD, July 21: The journalists of Hyderabad at a meeting held at the local press club on Thursday condemned the arrest of Associate Editor of Friday Special Abdul Latif Abu Shamil, Editor of Wujood Mohammad Tahir and other newsmen and hawkers and demanded their immediate release. The president of the Hyderabad Press Club, Mr Iqbal Mallah, in his speech said that the arrest of journalists in Karachi was a direct attack on the freedom of the press and all newsmen of the country.

He said the government should tender an apology to journalists and release the arrested journalists immediately.

The general secretary of the club, Mohammad Shahid Shaikh, said that the rulers were using the language of repression against the language of argument. He warned that if the arrested newsmen were not released, the scope of protest will be extended to whole of Pakistan.

Bureau Chief of Daily Ummat Abdul Hafeez Abid said that American agents were ruling over the country and the rulers have launched a crackdown against those newspapers which were writing against the repressive measures adopted by the government.

Others who spoke on the occasion include Hamid Shaikh, Mahesh Kumar, Parwano Bhatti and Adeel Pathan. Senior journalist Aziz Malik presided over the meeting.

The meeting resolved to hold a protest demonstration on Friday.