KARACHI, Jan 31: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has condemned the Friday night attack on the offices of Jang and Geo Television, terming it an assault on freedom of the press.

APNS general secretary Muhammad Aslam Kazi, in a statement issued here on Monday, expressed concern over what he called the revived phenomenon of violence against the press and said the situation in which militant organizations and groups felt free to attack newspaper offices, without the latter getting any protection from law-enforcement personnel, was unacceptable.

He said that people disagreeing with any material published in a newspaper had the right to air their viewpoint in a democratic and peaceful manner, but they were not allowed to resort to violence to pressurize journalists and newspapers.

He criticized the failure of the administration to provide adequate protection to journalists and newspaper establishments. Meanwhile, the Sindh Regional Committee of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors has called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation arising out of the attack. The meeting will be held in Karachi on Tuesday afternoon.