Mach Jail, also spelled as Machh Jail ( ur, ), and colloquially known as Kala Pani, is a

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

situated southwest of the

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of the ...

valley in Pakistan. Established in 1929, the prison spans in the arid, sparsely populated town of

Machh Machh, or Mach ( Balochi, Brahui, ur, مچھ, Sindhi: مڄ), is a town and union council of Kachhi District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The town has an altitude of 1006 metres (3303 feet) and is located at 29°52'0N 67°19'60E, - ...

. Surrounded by barren hills, Mach Jail stands as the primary structure in this remote area. Noted for its extreme heat, Mach Jail has been compared to the

Cellular Jail The Cellular Jail, also known as Kālā Pānī (), was a British colonial prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The prison was used by the colonial government of India for the purpose of exiling criminals and political prisoners. Many ...

in India, which is also known as Kala Pani. The prison has historically been associated with the detention of

political dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 20 ...

s and

freedom fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...

s, particularly during British rule. One section, known as the Chili Ward or Ward number 9, is infamous for the punitive treatment of

prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

s who resisted

colonial rule Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

, including the

adulteration An adulterant is caused by the act of adulteration, a practice of secretly mixing a substance with another. Typical substances that are adulterated include but are not limited to food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuel, or other chemicals, that ...

of their food with chilies.

History

Mach Jail was established in 1929 during

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

era. Its remote location, approximately 10 to 15 kilometers from the small town of

, was chosen to impose severe punishments on

s away from public view. Since 1978, a total of 61 prisoners have been executed at Mach Jail, many during the period of

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law i ...

's martial law.

Notable prisoners

Prince Karim Khan Prince Agha Abdul Karim Ahmedzai was the younger brother of the last Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmedyar Khan. See also *History of Balochistan The history of Balochistan began in 650 BCE with vague allusions to the region in Greek historical rec ...

Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai (7 July 1907 – 2 December 1973) ( ps, عبدالصمد خان اڅکزی), commonly known as Khan Shaheed () (This title or name was given by the great Baba-e-Afghan Abdul Rahim Khan Mandokhail) was a Pashtun nati ...

Akbar Bugti Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti (Balochi, Urdu: ; 12 July 1927 – 26 August 2006) was a Pakistani politician and the Tumandar (head) of the Bugti tribe of Baloch people who served as the Minister of State for Interior and Governor of Balo ...

Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo ( Urdu/Baloch: میرغوث بخش بزنجو ) was a Pakistani politician from Balochistan. He served as the 3rd Governor of Balochistan. Early life He was born in Nall Khuzdar Balochistan in either December 1917 or 1 ...

Gul Khan Nasir Gul Khan Naseer ( ur, ), also known as Malek o-Sho'arā Balochistan ( ur, ; 14 May 1914 – 6 December 1983) was a politician, poet, historian, and journalist from Balochistan, Pakistan. Born on 14 May 1914 in Noshki, Gul Khan Naseer was at the ...

* Saulat Mirza

References

{{Prisons in Pakistan 1929 establishments in British India Prisons in Pakistan