KARACHI: A major jailbreak occurred at District Jail Malir late Monday night, as 216 inmates managed to escape during the chaos following earthquake tremors in the city. Jail officials say prisoners had been moved out of their barracks from circles 4 and 5 as a precaution when the tremors hit. Around 600 prisoners were outside their cells at the time.
Superintendent Jail Arshad Shah confirmed that 80 escapees have been re-arrested so far, while over 135 are still on the run. A separate FIR will be registered against the escaped inmates, with charges of jailbreak and assault on law enforcement officials.
Tragically, one prisoner was killed and three others were injured during the incident. Two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and two police officers were also injured and shifted to Jinnah Hospital for treatment.
According to Additional IG Javed Alam Odho, the incident happened around 1am. He said there was no structural breach, and the escape appears to have happened when prisoners attempted to force their way out through the main gate in panic. He added that earthquake tremors created fear among inmates, but the police responded quickly and prevented a larger escape.
The Sindh Home Minister, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, said the situation is now under control and all escapees are being traced. He stated that identity records of all prisoners are available and law enforcement agencies are conducting raids at various locations. He expressed hope that the remaining fugitives would be re-arrested soon.
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A joint operation involving police, Rangers, FC, the Special Security Unit (SSU), and Rapid Response Force (RRF) was launched to secure the jail and find the missing prisoners. High-ranking officials including the Home Minister, IG Prisons Qazi Nazir, and DIG Prisons also visited the site to assess the situation.
Lanjar noted that there were no high-profile inmates among the escapees. He also indicated that any negligence by jail staff will be investigated and disciplinary action will be taken.
Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori has taken notice of the incident and urged a transparent probe. He has directed authorities to ensure the immediate re-arrest of all escapees and fix any security lapses.
