KARACHI (Kahmir English): At least 45 to 50 inmates escaped from Karachi’s Malir Jail 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.
They, however, managed to flee during this period, jail officials said.
According to sources, the prisoners escaped after launching a sudden and organized assault on the police within the jail premises.
As the situation spiraled out of control, the police responded with heavy aerial firing in an attempt to regain order but in vain.
Speaking to the media in wee hours of Tuesday, Lanjar said that the situation at the jail was now under control.
He explained that during the earthquake tremors, prisoners were moved out of their barracks for safety, in line with standard precautions. However, he added, around 700 to 1,000 inmates gathered at the jail’s main gate.
The minister further said that nearly 100 prisoners managed to force the gate open and flee.
He confirmed that 46 of them have since been recaptured, while around 18 to 20 are still at large.
Jail administration
The jail administration, however, said that over 50 prisoners out of at least 100 escapees have been re-arrested.
According to the officials, the identities and records of all escaped prisoners are available, and that raids were being carried out at their homes and surrounding areas.
The minister rejected the initial reports suggesting a prison wall had collapsed, saying the prisoners fled through the main gate rather than breaking through any structure.
The Inspector General of Prisons, Qazi Nazir, reached the Jail immediately after the incident.
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.
