SUKKUR, May 12: An uprising by inmates of the Sukkur Central Jail-1 ended after 11 hours on Thursday night when groups of prisoners, who had taken a number of security guards hostage, agreed to free the guards and go back to their barracks. The standoff ended with the efforts of a former superintendent of the jail, Mr Abu Bakar Sheikh, who is now posted in Shikarpur.

He had been especially called to resolve the crisis because he is known to be respected by prisoners. According to sources, one prisoner was killed and 26 others were injured when police called to quell the uprising opened fire.

However, Sindh prisons DIG Ghulam Hussain Khoso denied that any prisoner had been killed. Mr Khoso claimed that the authorities were in control of the situation and there was ‘complete calm’ in the prison.

The prisoners had taken assistant jail superintendent Ghulam Yasin and eight security personnel hostage, unlocked the barracks and set all the prisoners free. They were demanding an end to the practice of officials and guards searching prisoners, taking cash from them and demanding bribes.

They were protesting against what they called inhuman treatment meted out to them and demanded return of their money and valuables and transfers of superintendent Ashiq Bozdar and jailer Liaquat Pirzada. DPO Abdullah Sheikh said that the matter had been resolved.