Five injured in Gujrat jail protest

LALAMUSA:Five persons, including three policemen and two prisoners, were injured following a protest staged by prisoners in District Jail, Gujrat on Friday.

Climbing up barracks and chanting slogans against the jail administration, the prisoners alleged that the administration had not been allowing them to meet their families for last three months and they were being kept alone. They also alleged that they were not being taken to courts in connection with hearing of their cases.

Police contingents were called from other police stations of the district to control the situation. Prisoners started throwing bricks on police officials who retaliated, opened tear gas and started firing in the air to bring the situation under control.

As per sources, three policemen and two prisoners were injured who were shifted to hospital for medical aid. The district administration cordoned off the area from Jail Chowk to DSP City Office. Rescue 1122, fire brigade and elite forces were also called who controlled the situation in about five hours.

Our correspondent adds: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken notice of agitation in Gujrat jail and on his direction, nine jail officials, including a warden, have been suspended along-with the direction to register the case.

Presiding over a meeting, the chief minister directed placing complaint boxes in jails along with the directions to prepare a list of corrupt officials. He asked the special branch to submit a situation report by visiting the Gujrat jail.

He vowed that those engaged in cruelty and injustice in jails would be made a horrible example and they would have to be answerable in this life and hereafter. He directed that a case be registered against the superintendent for overcharging on edibles in the canteen and the one involved in cruelty would be locked up inthe same jail. The corrupt officials of special branch should also mend their ways, he warned.

The chief minister announced that he would examine the situation by visiting different jails and orders will be issued on the spot. The corrupt rob helpless people like a dacoit. He directed that jail discipline should be ensured and warned that torture would not be acceptable. He directed that a foolproof mechanism for provision of essential items to prisoners by their families be devised and special committees be constituted in every region to solve the prisoners’ problems. He directed that prisoners should be provided with every item at market rate in jail canteen. The government has paid attention to the jail reforms after 72 years and the prison act has also been promulgated for the inmates welfare. Action will be taken for not submitting a prior report about agitation and restlessness in jail, he added.

Law Minister Raja Basharat, Chief Secretary, ACS (Home), IG Jails and others attended the meeting.