HYDERABAD, Dec 7: The leaders of different parties have decided to launch joint struggle against prison officials to protect political prisoners from the atrocities unleashed against them in different jails of Sindh province.

The decision was taken at a meeting on Sindh prisons and oppressed prisoners held at a hotel here on Thursday under the aegis of Sindh National Students Front.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh National Party chief Dr Dodo Mehri alleged that the political prisoners in Sindh were being subjected to torture under a planned conspiracy to eliminate them physically.

He claimed that the state was actively involved in these atrocities and added that joint struggle should be launched to expose the hidden hands behind the torture of the political prisoners.

He said that instead of reforming the prisoners in Sindh jails, they were being turned into hardened criminals.

The PPP (SB) leader Dr Mazhar Memon said that from a junior functionary of jail administration to IG prison, all the prison officials were responsible for committing excesses against the prisoners.

He said if the prisoners could not be provided legal assistance, the relevant laws should be abolished.

He called upon writers, human rights organisations and NGOs to join the struggle to protect the rights of the prisoners.

A lawyer from Mirpurkhas, Amanullah Soomro said that without changing the law, the excesses against the prisoners could not be brought to an end.

He said the judicial system also needed to be changed to enforce the jail laws and added that a struggle should also be launched to change the judicial system.

The president of Sindh Peoples Students Federation Aajiz Dhamro said that the condition of the prisoners in jail was even worse than animals.

Sindh Taraqqi Passand Party leader Mehboob Shah called upon different parties and groups to shun petty difference and unite to provide relief to the prisoners.

The spokesman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Dr Zulfiqar Panhwar in his speech said that after taking over the possession of the natural resources of Sindh, Punjab province was trying to eliminate those leaders and political activists who were raising voice for the rights of Sindh.

He said that Punjabi officers had been appointed in all the jails of Sindh to crush the political prisoners.

The others who spoke on the occasion included SNF leader Ayub Shar and Asghar Narejo.

The gathering adopted a resolution strongly condemning the excesses against the prisoners.

It demanded that only commission pass officers should be appointed as jail superintendents, facilities permissible under the jail manual should be provided to the prisoners and matriculate constables and other staff should be appointed in jails.

In another resolution, the gathering demanded the immediate removal of the superintendent Hyderabad central jail Malik Altaf Awam and deputy superintendent Eijaz Haider and a judicial inquiry into the excesses unleashed against the prisoners.

The gathering decided to hold another joint meeting of different political parties and students organizations on Sunday at the JSQM media centre here to evolve strategy for launching movement against jail officials.