LARKANA, July 27: The inmates of Larkana Central Prison on Friday launched protest and made two policemen hostage to pressurise the authorities to accept their demands, including timely production in courts and proper medical care.

When policemen Ahad Khan Phul and Mohammad Yasin Chandio entered a barrack for distributing food, the inmates made them hostage, sources told Dawn.

The jail management, after failing to secure the release of the policemen, sought help from the district police which lobbed tear gas shells to control the situation.

This infuriated the inmates some of whom climbed on the roofs of the barracks in protest. They alleged that eight prisoners had fallen unconscious due to tear gas shelling.

The situation returned to normality only after Deputy Inspector General, prisons, Sukkur, Col Mohammad Khaleeq Malal, arrived at the jail and held negotiated with the prisoners.

So far no case has been registered against the jail inmates.

The Larkana prison houses 1,350 prisoners against its capacity of 400 prisoners.