October 05, 2008	Sunday	Shawwal 05, 1429

HYDERABAD, Oct 4: Prisoners and police clashed in the Hyderabad central jail on Saturday after the former vented their outrage over non-provision of basic facilities and alleged corruption by officials.

However, the situation was brought under control after the administration held talks with the prisoners and assured them that their demands would be looked into.

Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari, Advocate General Yusuf Leghari, MPA Farheen Mughal, PPP Hyderabad acting president Amanullah Siyal and Mehboob Abro acted as go-betweens.

The trouble began after 2pm when jail authorities snatched a cell phone from a prisoner. According to a source, prisoners put up resistance when they were subjected to a body search upon return from courts.

Prisoners alleged that jail officials also demanded ‘Eidi’ during the search. They also accused the jail authorities of subjecting them to torture if they did not pay “illegal gratification”.

Four prisoners were shifted to solitary cell as punishment.

A heavy contingent of police was called in to calm the situation.

The prisoners pelted police with bricks and stones. Police resorted to tear-gas shelling and aerial firing to disperse them.

Prisoners told PPP leaders that jail staff demanded money every now and then. They complained that there were no medicines in the jail hospital and prisoners were forced to pay “illegal gratification” if they wanted to be produced before courts.

They called for suspension of prison chief Abdul Majeed Siddiqui and some other officials.

MPA Farheen Mughal said the prisoners had ended their protest after a written undertaking was obtained from DIG (prisons) Nawaz Hussain that they would not be tortured.

“I am shocked to hear the nature of complaints made by prisoners,” she told Dawn. She said that some legal implications would be looked into by the Sindh AG, while other complaints about the sale of narcotics and the allegation of illegal gratification would be redressed by the jail administration itself.

AG Sindh Yusuf Leghari said action would be taken against jail officials -- Shakeel, Jabbar and Ali Hassan.

On Sept 24, 2005, locks of 30 barracks and cells were broken in the jail after over 1,000 under-trial prisoners and convicts protested against the solitary confinement of 40 prisoners and withdrawal of some facilities. Four inmates were injured in the clash with police. An APC and a barrack were set on fire by the enraged inmates.