In a dramatic turn of events, over a hundred prisoners managed to escape from a correctional facility in Karachi, a major city in southern Pakistan, after being temporarily evacuated from their cells due to mild earthquake tremors, officials revealed on Tuesday. The jailbreak, which led to a shootout resulting in the death of one prisoner and injuries to three security personnel, posed a major challenge to law enforcement.
Kashif Abbasi, a high-ranking police officer, reported that in the early hours, 216 inmates fled from the prison situated in the capital of Sindh province. Out of those who escaped, 78 had been apprehended at the time of the report. Abbasi reassured that none of the escapees were convicted militants or currently on trial for militant activities. Despite the tension and confusion following the escape, efforts are being made to restore order, and police raids continue in pursuit of the remaining fugitives.
Ziaul Hassan, the home minister for Sindh province, explained that prisoners were evacuated from their cells as a precautionary measure after seismic activity was detected. However, while outside their cells, a group of inmates overpowered guards, confiscated their weapons, and made their escape. In the chaos that followed, the prisoners headed toward a nearby residential locale.
Residents in the vicinity were warned of the jailbreak via announcements broadcasted from mosque loudspeakers, and they were asked to assist in the capture of the escapees. Arshad Shah, the superintendent of Malir Prison, detailed these efforts, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
In a televised statement, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, unrelated to the prison superintendent, appealed to the escaped prisoners to return voluntarily. He emphasized that most were involved in petty crimes and warned that failure to surrender could result in charges related to terrorism due to the nature of the breakout.
In light of the breach, Sindh Informational Minister Sharjeel Memon announced the dismissal of the prison’s chief, Nazir Ahmad, along with two other key officials, including the prison superintendent. This administrative shake-up aimed to address the lapses that led to the escape.
As operations to recapture all escapees continued, authorities reflected on the rarity of such incidents in Pakistan’s prison system. Heightened security measures have been in place since a significant escape orchestrated by the Pakistani Taliban in 2013 received widespread attention. Karachi was on heightened alert following a series of mild quakes ranging from 2.6 to 3.4 magnitude as recorded by the National Seismic Monitoring Center in recent days.