KARACHI: At least 45 to 50 inmates have escaped from the Malir Jail in Karachi in what appears to be one of the most serious jailbreaks in recent years, according to Sindh’s Home Minister, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar.
During the earthquake tremors that rocked Karachi on Monday, inmates were temporarily moved out of their barracks for safety reasons, jail officials said, adding that it was during this period that prisoners managed to flee.
Speaking to the media, Lanjar confirmed that around 30 to 35 of the escaped prisoners have already been rearrested during an ongoing search operation. However, the jail administration said that over 50 prisoners out of at least 100 escapees have been re-arrested.
He said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has been fully briefed on the situation, adding that the CM directed him to visit the prison personally to oversee the situation.
The incident is of a serious nature and may have involved negligence on the part of prison staff, said the home minister. He further said that initial reports suggested a prison wall had collapsed, but later updates clarified that the prisoners fled through the main gate rather than breaking through any structure.
The Inspector General of Prisons, Qazi Nazir, has reached the Malir Jail. Sindh’s Prisons Minister also arrived at the scene and has been in direct contact with jail officials.
Earlier, a large contingent of Frontier Corps (FC) personnel rushed to the site.
A joint search operation involving the Special Security Unit (SSU), the Rapid Response Force (RRF) was launched to track down the remaining escapees. After the operation was wrapped up, the contingents of police, the Rangers and the FC took control of the jail.
Later, the home minister, IG Jails and DIG Jails visited and inspected the Malir jail.
Lanjar said that all necessary intelligence and security resources are being deployed, including checkpoints and surveillance measures, to re-capture the prisoners.
Rescue officials reported that three FC personnel and one prison guard were injured during the incident. One inmate has been reportedly killed during the chaos that followed.
The Sindh Minister for Prisons stated that disciplinary action will be taken against any officials found negligent. He also stressed that the search for the remaining fugitives will continue until all are apprehended.
