September 06, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 05, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, Sept 5: The district and sessions judge, Umerkot, on Friday set at liberty 50 members of 18 families, including women and children, who had been working as bonded labourers at a brick kiln.

Misri Oad had submitted an application in the court of district and sessions judge, Umerkot, stating that members of some 18 families were working as bonded labourers at Umer Shehbaz brick kiln, near Bachao band, in the limits of Pithore police station. He said they were not allowed to go anywhere.

The sessions judge had ordered the SHO of Pithore police to conduct a raid and recover the bonded labourers.

The police carried out the raid and got freed 50 bonded labourers, including women and children, on Friday.

The labourers were produced before the court. The court after listening to them ordered their release.

KILLING ROBBERS: Society for Development and Human Rights general secretary Akhtar Baloch has said that the incidents of burning robbers alive in the country reminds one of the 18th century USA where accused were used to be burnt alive because of their faith.

He said this punishment was given regular shape by Captain William Lynch, an officer during the bloodshed in America who had formed an extrajudicial military tribunal for awarding such punishments to the accused.

He was speaking at a training session held here on Friday arranged by his NGO about the recent incidents of burning robbers alive or torturing them to death by people.

Mr Baloch said that recently eight suspected robbers and dacoits were burnt alive, three were shot dead, one was tortured to death and 31 were seriously beaten up in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Rais Ahmed Khan said that reason behind the occurrence of such incidents was non-implementation of laws and added that the concept was gaining momentum day by day among the masses for their personal safety.

He said that when a robber was caught red handed by people, they think that if he was handed over to police, he would be released and would not undergo any punishment, hence they award punishment to the accused on the spot.

He said that it was a dangerous trend which should be discouraged otherwise it would have larger impact as anyone can be killed or tortured after being declared a ‘robber’.

The vice-chairman of the society, Mehmood Iqbal, said that the NGO has compiled a report of such incidents which was sent to the government and non-government institutions concerned.

AFGHANS ARRESTED: Three suspected Afghan nationals were arrested by police on the indication of officials of intelligence agencies here on Thursday night.

Town police raided the Sindh inn at station road and arrested Ismail Sultan, Abdullah and Muhammadullah.

They were booked under Section 14 of Foreigner’s Act.

The accused were produced in the court of judicial magistrate of Mirpurkhas on Friday and the court remanded them in five-day police custody for interrogation.

FRUIT SALE: Fruit sellers were overcharging despite complaint centre had been set up by Market committee in the city.

People complained that they were forced to buy fruits on high rates while the complaint centre of Market committee had been failed to implement government fixed rates.

They said that despite price list, vendors were overcharging.

They lamented that the district administration had announced to conduct raids to check the overcharging but no magistrate had conducted raids to check exorbitant rates.