April 05, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, April 4: Bonded labourers numbering more than 116, including women and children of Oad community were released after raids on five brick kilns near Shahanabad, taluka Kunri on Thursday.

Reports said on a complaint, District and Sessions Judge Umerkot Khan Ubedullah Khan ordered Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate Kunri to conduct raid on five brick kilns and get released the bonded labourers.

Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate Kunri along with police contingent conducted raids at different brick kilns and got released 116 bonded labourers, including women and children.

Later they were produced in the court of District and Sessions Judge Umerkot and after hearing the bonded labour, Sessions Judge ordered their release.

Those released included Ram Chand Oad, Badal Oad, Munawar Oad and others. They told reporters they were kept in illegal confinement by owners of brick kilns and worked there at gunpoint. They further told that owners of the brick kilns had also threatened to sell them in Quetta.