May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

MULTAN, May 14: Up to 42 powerloom workers, arrested for riots against prolonged loadshedding of power on April 14, have yet to be released from the District Jail despite securing bail.

Area Magistrate Muhammad Izharul Haq Alvi granted bail here on Tuesday to the 42 workers of Powerlooms Association arrested for burning vehicles and damaging Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) offices during a demonstration on April 14 when they were protesting against hours-long power cuts.

On Wednesday, the jail authorities, however, refused to release the workers citing technical errors in court’s orders.

New Multan police arrested the workers under the Anti-Terrorism Act on April 14 and sent them to the District Jail. An anti-terrorism court sent the case to the area magistrate after dropping terror charges against them and the area magistrate granted bail to all the accused on the surety bound worth Rs30,000.

Talking to Dawn, workers’ leader Khailq Qandeel Sindho said the jail authorities had refused to release the workers due to technical ground. He said they would seek afresh release order from the Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday (today).

He said even though Mepco had started announcing its loadshedding schedule but the duration was not reduced and they were facing a 10-hour loadshedding every day.

He said Prime Minister Syed Yusaf Raza Gilani and Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khosa had assured them that the duration would be reduced.

Also, Area Magistrate Tariq Muhammad Chaudhry granted pre-arrest bail to seven other powerlooms workers, including Mr Sindho.