July 11, 2008	Friday	Rajab 7, 1429

SANGHAR, July 10: After a raid Jhole police have freed 53 haris who were working as bonded labourers at the lands of Ali Ghulam Mari.

The raid was carried out on the directives of the district and sessions judge of Sanghar.

Two peasants, Chanesar and Naban Khaskheli had filed an application in the court of district and sessions judge Amjad Ali Bohio that 53 haris were in detention at the lands of Ali Ghulam Mari and were forced to work as bonded labour. The court directed the Jhole police to recover the detained people.

The police raided the place and recovered 53 haris, including 19 women and 18 children.

All the people, including Dildar, Arbelo, Abdul Jabbar, Javed, Ashraf, Sabhago, Sharifan, Lali, Subhani, Zubeda, Sammi, Yasmin, Dini, Noorjehan, Gul Bano, Gulabi, Zadi, Jamzadi, Zarina, Meena, Amina, Rehana and others were produced in the court.

The court after listening to their statements set them free and allowed to live as they wish.

The haris told the court that they had worked at Kot Nawab Bugti from where they were brought by Ali Ghulam Mari for labour on his land.

The accused landlord Ali Ghulam Mari told the court that there was no private jail on his lands and the matter was dramatised.

He said he had paid Rs1.5 million to Nawab Saleem Akbar Bugti in 1996 for 14 couples of haris and since then they had been working at his lands.