HYDERABAD, Oct 5: The trouble which began in the central jail on Saturday noon ended late on Saturday night after successful negotiations between jail inmates’ and jail authorities in presence of government’s representatives.

In accordance with an understanding reached in the talks, the prison administration did not lodge any case against agitating prisoners, did not launch any search operation and did not shift prisoners to any other jail of the province.

Negotiations started between prisoners’ representatives Ikhlaq Lakho, Ghulam Rasool Panwhar, Dhani Bux Abro and around one dozen others and DIG prison Hyderabad Nawaz Hussain, jail superintendent Abdul Majeed Siddiqui and other jail officials. Advocate-General (AG) Sindh, Yusuf Leghari, Sindh Minister Zahid Bhurgari, MPA Farheen Mughal, PPP acting district president Amanullah Siyal and Mehboob Abro acted as mediators.

It was against the backdrop of the commitment made by the jail administration that no search operation would be launched against prisoners once the mediators leave the jail and prisoners came down the roof of barracks. No prisoner was shifted as punishment to other jails of Sindh.

Jail officials have removed two jail sepoys, Ali Hassan and Jabbar while a clerk, Shakeel has been transferred to IG prisons Sindh camp office.

According to AG Sindh Yusuf Leghari, the prisoners complained against Ali Hassan and Jabbar.

It was learnt that prisoners also lodged complaints against clerk Shakeel that he did not give benefit of remission announced by the government from time to time. Prison officials rejected their claim pleading that it was not Shakeel who had to give benefit of remission to prisoners given the fact that certain parameters and condition were to be met by prisoners to qualify for such remission.

DIG Prisons Nawaz Hussain told Dawn that prisoners’ demand for action against Shakeel was unjust because he is just a subordinate of prison administration and has to act as per authorities’ directives. Still, he said, the clerk has been transferred to IG prisons’ camp office and an inquiry would be conducted to verify allegations of prisoners.

He said that as far as remission is concerned some conditions are to be met. He added that those serving terms in heinous offences or those who haven’t served 2/3rd of sentence couldn’t be given remission.

“Unfortunately most of prisoners who were protesting fall in that category which doesn’t quality for remission”, he said. He informed that no case is registered against prisoners who resorted to rioting in jail on Saturday and neither any search operation was conducted nor any prisoner was shifted as per commitment made in presence of officials like AG Sindh.

Mr Leghari told this correspondent outside central prison after mediation that mutiny should not have been staged by prisoners and to him jail administration was at fault to some extent because grievances could have been redressed by prison officials themselves.

He, however, said that corruption is not an issue of jail department alone because it concerned every department and it could be controlled gradually.

He said that he would submit a report to Sindh chief minister. He spoke about differences in jail manuals of Sindh and Punjab prisons. He said that remission is to be applied after meeting specific conditions of concerned prisoner because it’s a law.

The prisoners also demanded shifting of some prisoners to jail hospital for treatment of different ailments which the administration undertook to do on the ground that a separate jail ward is established in hospital and there is no harm in shifting them. The prisoners were informed that in addition to two jail hospital’s doctors, two were detailed by EDO health, who also provides medicines to prisoners.

It was claimed by prisoners that their regular production before courts don’t take place at different pretext. They said that prison staff demands money from them on different grounds when they return from their court hearings or their relatives intend to call on them. They said that their separate meetings should be allowed. They said that use of cell phone has been allowed in Khairpur and Sukkur central prison and it should be allowed here as well.

The prison officials denied their allegations and said that cell phone couldn’t be allowed in jail because it could result in commission of offences. They said that prisoner, who was found in possession of mobile phone, would have to return his cell phone to his relatives during his interview.

There are reports that some prisoners received minor injuries on Saturday but they have not been provided treatment inside the jail.

Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari, MPA Farheen Mughal and Amanullah Siyal are in Karachi to brief chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah about Saturday’s mutiny by prisoners and their efforts to control it.

Presently, Hyderabad jail is over-crowded as around 2500 are lodged there against the sanctioned strength of 1527 prisoners.