MIRPURKHAS, Oct 13: District and sessions judge, Umerkot, Khan Ubaidullah Khan, on Monday set 20 bonded labourers, including women and children, at liberty.

Lalo Kolhi had submitted an application in the court of the district and sessions judge, stating that his relatives were at the land of landlord Usman Maher in Umerkot taluka, where labour work was being taken from them forcibly and they were not allowed to move freely. He said that the landlord had stopped their remuneration and stopped medical treatment when needed.

The judge ordered the Umerkot SHO to conduct a raid on the land, recover the bonded labourers and produce them before the court.

On Sunday, Umerkot police carried out raid at the land of landlord Usman Maher and recovered 20 bonded labourers, including women and children.

The police produced them in the court which, after recording their statements, ordered that they were free to go wherever they wanted.

TEMPLE ISSUE President, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Mirpurkhas district chapter, Faqir Qaiser Mari and other leaders, have alleged that some vested interests were occupying temples and thus distorting Sindh’s message of universal peace and harmony.

They said in a statement that land mafia had occupied an old temple in Umerkot and said that their organisation would take measures to protect the old religious places in Sindh.