Jail break: Chaos subsides in central jail but 1 prisoner shot dead by outsiders

Prisoners and jailers successfully negotiate, 6 hostages released.

SUKKUR:

The six jail officials who were taken hostage by prisoners in central jail I on Tuesday were released on July 6, after successful negotiations between the prisoners and the prison administration, causing the chaos to finally subside.

On Tuesday morning, a dozen prisoners armed with iron rods, wooden sticks and rocks attacked and injured seven jail officials and took six other hostages on the rooftop. Three prisoners were also injured during this assault.

After the police failed to control the violence with tear gas and aerial firing, jail superintendent Qazi Nazir began negotiations with the prisoners. But since the authorities and prisoners could not reach a mutual understanding, negotiations were suspended twice and in fact the authorities also contemplated launching a police operation.

However negotiations resumed on Wednesday after the jail decided to safely recover the hostages. The district in-charge and additional district and sessions judge, Shakeel Haider Shah, met the prisoners and negotiated for the release of the hostages, who were immediately taken to civil hospital for a check-up after they were freed.

"The prisoners wanted to be sure that a police operation will not be conducted against them or that they would not be shifted to other jails [as punishment]. As both of their demands were accepted, they decided to stop the protest and released the hostages," said Nazir.

On Wednesday, unidentified armed men started firing at the policemen deployed at the watch towers. The firing killed Abdul Rehman Domki, a prisoner, who was minding the hostages on the roof. The armed men managed to escape as the police and jail officials opened fire. The Rohri police registered a case against unidentified men but no arrests have been made so far.

Cause of the mayhem

According to the jail deputy superintendent Qalandar Bux, the unrest is linked to prisoners gaining access to smuggled mobile phones. Apparently the inmates used telecommunication to coordinate and plan this attack with the aid of their associates in the outside world. Sources claim that mobile phones allow some of the most wanted criminals to monitor and control illegal operations from within the prison.

"Such criminals negotiate with people over ransom money for kidnapped relatives and instruct their aides on how to collect the money or release the hostage," insiders claimed. Since mobile phones are still being used in prisons, the provincial government has been discussing the possibility of installing jammers inside the prison.

Treatment of prisoners

Even though relatives of prisoners protested alleged mistreatment on Tuesday, Nazir claims that prisoners are not manhandled by jail officials. "Prisoners nowadays receive good treatment in jails," he said. "In comparison with how things used to be, the situation has improved. Prisoners are getting very good food, for example they get chicken thrice a week, beef twice a week, eggs, lentils and vegetables."

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2011.