MIRPURKHAS, June 24: A group of 17 peasants, including women and children, took out a rally and observed token hunger strike after escaping allegedly from illegal confinement of landlord Murad Khaskheli and Qaim Khaskheli in Deh Hiral, Pithoro taluka, Umerkot district on Tuesday.

They were protesting against the alleged atrocities of landlords.

Carrying banners and placards, they marched on main roads from railway station chowk and later converged before the local press club for observing token hunger strike.

Talking to journalists, they said that they were being subjected to forced labour by landlords at agriculture lands for the last 17 years without any share of earning. They were forced to work under strict security and not allowed to move freely, they added.

They said that a 14-year-old boy, Rano, son of Satram, had gone missing from land and apprehended that he might have been taken to an unknown destination by the landlords. They said that the landlords were influential and apprehended that armed henchmen of landlords may kidnap them.

They demanded of the Sindh government to take notice and provide protection to them.—Correspondent