HYDERABAD, Nov 18: Police arrested eight activists of Jamaat-i-Islami, including the acting Amir of the party’s Hyderabad chapter, when they held a demonstration outside the Aurangzeb Masjid in Gari Khata on Sunday and shouted slogans against imposition of emergency and curbs on media.

The protesters severely criticised the curbs on media and closure of Geo and ARYONE World TV channels.

JI Amir Rana Mehmood Ali Khan who led the small group of protesters said the government had stifled the dissent by imposing curbs on the judiciary and media but no one could remain a silent spectator in these circumstances.

He said that nobody could expect free and fair elections under emergency and the government did go ahead with holding polls they would be nothing but a sham. People should rise against the regime, which had enslaved the country, he stressed.

Police held Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, Adil Parvez, Khalil Sheikh, Irfan Ansari, Rao Rafaqat Ali, Abdullah Sheikh and Master Ashfaq on charges of violating section 144 and protesting against imposition of emergency. They were shifted to City police station.

Police also confirmed arresting JI activists and leaders Sheikh Shaukat, Tariq Khanzada, Haneef Sheikh, Khawaja Asim Riaz and Rizwan Gaddi on Nov 13 as they came out of civil courts premises after staging protest.