20000115

12 kiln

workers

freed

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday released 12 illegally confined kiln workers, including women, in a habeas corpus petition.

The petition filed by one Boota had submitted that a kiln (bhatta) owner Mohammad Rafiq of Sialkot illegally confined 12 kiln workers including eight women at his kiln. The names of the detenues are Fatima Bibi, Karam Bibi, Amina Bibi, Maqsooda Bibi, Asif, Amanat, Safia Bibi, Muzamil, Sughran Bibi, Bashir Ahmed, Zahida Bibi and Perveen.

He submitted that they were beaten and fettered. They had also not been paid their wages since four months.

The petitioner had prayed the court to issue orders for their recovery and release through bailiff.

Earlier, the court deputed the bailiff Rana Mohammad Younas to recover the detainees from the illlegal confinement of the kiln owner and produce them before the court. The bailiff recovered the detainees and produced them in the court on Friday.ÑAPP