DG Khan prisoners at peace

Inmates end strike late Saturday night and return to their barracks peacefully.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: After successful negotiations with the central jail superintendent, inmates ended their strike late Saturday night and returned to their barracks peacefully.

According to officials, the inmates went on strike against the jail administration after four prisoners Manzoor, Kalo, Haji and Khalil were tortured and later shifted to Multan jail. The inmates refused to return to their barracks after which the jail administration resorted to baton charge and also used tear gas and aerial firing. The inmates allegedly also detained two jail officials and tortured them. After talks with the district coordination officer (DCO) Iftikhar Ali Sahu the inmates eventually agreed to negotiate with former superintendent Sheikh Nadeem. Nadeem reached Dera Ghazi Khan from Bahawalnagar and apologized to the prisoners. The prisoners shouted slogans in his favour and the prisoners’ representatives Abdul Ghafar Baloch, Khalid Gopan, Abid Chandia and Lalo Khosa negotiated with the superintendent Nadeem, who assured them that there would be no injustice in the future. Nadeem also said that two of the four inmates shifted to Multan would be brought back to the central jail.

Nadeem told reporters that no case had been registered against the inmates and the prisoners were calm.According to prison sources, a sentry was also injured after the inmates hurled stones from the jail rooftops and was shifted to the district hospital. An inmate (on condition of anonymity) said the new jailer had forced the prisoners to obey their rules and in his predecessors tenure inmates were allowed to used mobile phones and all other facilities were made available to them.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2010.