Karachi:
Taking advantage of chaos during an earthquake, at least 216 prisoners escaped from Malir’s prison on Monday at midnight in the midst of layoffs for security guards.
It followed a solid search operation by the district and the police of the jail and the rangers, during which 90 escapes were recaptured, while the rest are still free.
According to the police, the prison administration evacuated the barracks prisoners as a precautionary measure due to the potential danger after the earthquake.
More than 1,000 prisoners gathered near Mari’s door, causing a stampede. The prisoners took advantage of the situation, broke the locks of the Mari door and began to escape by jumping on the walls of the prison.
The prison police staff and the border body (FC) tried to stop prisoners shooting warning shots.
However, a prisoner snatched a Kalashnikov from a police officer and began to shoot indiscriminately, injuring two members of the FC staff and a police officer.
Other prisoners also wounded officials with stones and sticks and managed to escape. The intense shot caused panic in the area, and traffic on the National Highway was suspended.
The road from Quaidabad to Malir prison closed, which resulted in long tails of vehicles between Malir Kala Board and Quaidabad.
A great contingent of the Malir District police, the rangers and the FC arrived at the scene.
IG and DIG prisons, prison superintendent, SSP Malir and other senior officials also reached the site.
The Interior Minister of Sindh, Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar, realized the incident and ordered SSP Malir to take immediate measures and arrest the escaped prisoners.
He instructed effective measures, surveillance, intelligence and obstacles, and ordered a strict departmental action against negligent officials.
A house search was carried out in the surrounding areas.
The locals captured videos of the prisoners who escaped and shared them on social networks, showing some without a shirt that fled barefoot and others escaping in Rickshaws of six seats.
In the initial search operation, 50 prisoners were arrested from the prison, while Malir City police arrested 19 prisoners from different vehicles, and Sukhan’s police arrested another eight.
The police also made ads in the mosque speakers to inform the public about the descriptions of the prisoners. Identity cards were verified, and suspicious people were arrested to interrogate it.
Meanwhile, a woman took her son and her friend to jail, one of whom she was a drug addict and came home at 3:30 am after escaping.
The woman said she gave them food before taking them back to jail.
She hopes that her child will recover from drug addiction in jail.
IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon also arrived at Malir prison on Tuesday morning and received an informative session from the superintendent about the situation.
Most prisoners were imprisoned in narcotics, and several of them had psychological problems.
The prime minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, eliminated the Inspector General of Prisons and suspended the DIG prisons and the superintendent of the Malir prison for the incident.
Shah described the “completely unacceptable” incident and promised to hold those responsible, citing serious negligence from the prison authorities.
Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said he announced that strict measures would not be taken against prisoners who voluntarily return within 24 hours.
However, those who do not return, will be accused under the provisions of Jailbreak, who have a sentence of up to seven years in prison.
