June 30, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1429

BADIN, June 29: Sixty-four bonded labourers, including women and children, were freed from a private jail of a former district police officer, police said on Saturday.

Raja Bheel, an office-bearer of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told journalists that a 40-year-old woman Saran had complained to the district and sessions judge of Badin that former DPO of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas, Ali Ahmed Junejo, had kept her husband Kanji Bheel and 63 others in illegal confinement in his private jail.

She said that he had employed them six months ago but never made them any payment and the dues kept increasing to Rs400,000.

The court ordered police to raid the private jail. Police raided the landlord’s village and got 64 bonded labourers, including women and children, freed.

Police then produced them in court where they recorded their statements.

The court directed the landlord to pay dues to labourers but he dismissed labourers’ statements as allegations and propaganda and denied their demand for dues.—PPI

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: Dozens of peasants took out a rally under the banner of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan here on Sunday to protest against a landlord for depriving them of their rights.

Led by Kanji Ranomal, district coordinator of HRCP core group and carrying banners and placards, the protesters marched through main roads and later converged in front of the local press club.

Talking to journalists HRCP activists told journalists that landlord Khair Mohammad Bhurgari, who was also Mirpurkhas district president of Pakistan Muslim League-Q, had committed excesses and atrocities against labours by paying them only Rs500 per month. They said that peasants were deprived of their rights as they were being paid less than one fourth of the income instead of their half share of the crops.

They alleged that labours were forced to work in mango orchards without any compensation or salary under the security of armed henchmen of the landlord.

They alleged that the landlord and his henchmen were involved in violation of human rights and committed atrocities against peasants.

They demanded of the Sindh chief minister, provincial police officer, DIG Mirpurkhas, chief justice of Sindh High Court and district and sessions judge Mirpurkhas to take notice of the matter and dispense justice.