SAHIWAL, Dec 17: The oldest woman prisoner of the country is currently undergoing 25 years of rigorous imprisonment in the Central Jail here.

Convicted by the local sessions court on charges of murder on May 23, 2000, the 90-year-old Hajran Rani is known to jail authorities and fellow inmates as Amman (mother) Rani. When questioned by this reporter, she could hardly recall her past. She could only give the names of her two sons, Ejaz and Shahid.

Hard of hearing and suffering from a poor eyesight, the fair-complexioned Amman Rani was brought for the interview on a wheelchair.

Deputy Jail Superintendent Yousaf Ghauri said the wheelchair was provided to the prisoner under a special permission of the highups. He said she was being provided liquid food like milk and had a lady doctor attend to her on a daily basis.

Amman Rani was sentenced to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 in the year 2000 for poisoning to death a girl named Naseem in Chak 82/5L.

According to the FIR registered in Sept 1996, Amman Rani poisoned the daughter of one Ahmed Ali with whom she shared a one-acre orchard. Amman Rani had been asked by Mr Ali to give the orchard to him in return for alternative land, but she refused. In the meantime, the daughter of Mr Ali died by poisoning. The murder was blamed on Amman Rani.