December 22, 2006	Friday	Ziqa'ad 30, 1427

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QUETTA, Dec 21: Five women have accused the district jail administration of torturing 40 Baloch political prisoners and urged the Supreme Court and the Balochistan High Court to take notice of the situation.

Addressing a joint press conference at the press club here on Thursday, Bibi Zulekha, mother of Mohammad Ali, Jan Bibi, mother of Mohammad Arif, Shakar Bibi, mother of Khair Jan Bugti, Naz Bibi, mother of Hasan Marri, and Lal Khatoon, sister of Amirul Mulk alleged that prisoners were beaten up in jail.

Ms Khatoon read out from a written statement and said the Quetta District Jail officials beat up 40 Baloch prisoners – including Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Arif, Amirul Mulk, Hasan Marri and Khair Jan Bugti – on Dec 15 without any reason.

She claimed that the jail administration was torturing Baloch prisoners to force them to apologise and said that prison officials were not allowing mothers and sisters to meet their sons and brothers in jail. She urged the judiciary to take action against jail officials involved in torturing prisoners.

She urged rights bodies to protest against “this oppression”.