April 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1429

SUKKUR, April 15: More than 100 prisoners staged a demonstration in the Central Jail-I on Tuesday, climbed jail’s rooftops and held wardens hostage for some hours in protest against torture and solitary confinement of two of their colleagues, according to jail sources.

The sources said that jail authorities found prisoners Haideri Teghani and Hubdar Teghani in possession of a video CD player and seized it because such items were not allowed in the jail premises under jail manual, leading to a scuffle between the prisoners and the jail officials.

The wardens then subjected the two to torture and punished them solitary confinement for the whole night. In the morning on Tuesday, some 100 prisoners started protest. Shouting slogans against the authorities the climbed onto the jail’s rooftop and took hostage six jail officials including Subedar Ahmed Bux Korai, and constables Budhal Jatoi, Laloo Wassan, Ashraf Chandio for four hours, the sources said.

Later, the DIG of prisons Sukkur Shabbir Jan Sarhandi negotiated with the protesters’ leaders including Bachlo Pitafi and Kamal Faqir and persuaded them to end protest on assurance that he would give them of justice.

PROTEST: Scores of employees of FFC, Mari Gas Field, and Engro Chemical Company staged a sit-in on the National Highway near DPO’s office in Mirpur Mathelo on Tuesday in protest against police failure to trace two FFC employees, who were kidnapped from Sanjar Pur in Punjab two weeks ago.

The protesters led by Ghulam Sarwar Abbasi gathered in front of the DPO’s office and staged a sit-in for an hour, shouting slogans against police, which they said had failed to find their colleagues.

The SP of investigation police of Ghotki Iqbal Junejo negotiated with the protesters and persuaded them to end their protest on assurance that the hostages would be recovered soon.

KIDNAP VICTIM: Sardar Khan Pathan, who was kidnapped two weeks ago from Naich village near Kashmore, reached home on Tuesday.