More Inmates Return After Karachi Jailbreak

Officials stated on Tuesday that an additional 10 prisoners, who had fled during the earthquake-induced jailbreak in Karachi, have been returned to Landhi Jail in the Malir district over the Eid ul Adha holiday.

A total of 213 prisoners escaped from District Malir Jail in Karachi during an evacuation prompted by earthquake tremors. The incident reportedly occurred when the prison staff moved the inmates to the open courtyard due to safety concerns. Amid the chaos, the situation escalated, enabling a large number of inmates to escape.

Jail Superintendent Shahab Siddiqui mentioned that some inmates were apprehended, while others surrendered willingly.

With these returns, the total number of recaptured escapees has reached 149, while 66 individuals remain at large, according to the official.

Last week, prisoners from two sections of Malir Jail, who were moved out due to continuous tremors, reportedly assaulted security personnel. Frontier Corps personnel initially attempted to restrain the inmates using batons and then fired warning shots, but they were eventually overpowered, which allowed the prisoners to flee.

At least three FC personnel and one jail employee sustained injuries during the disruption, and one prisoner was killed. Furthermore, the facility’s IT room experienced damage to its servers and equipment, and some doors were also damaged.

A joint operation, including police, Rangers, Frontier Corps, the Special Security Unit (SSU), and the Rapid Response Force (RRF), was initiated to locate the escapees, resulting in the immediate recapture of approximately 100 inmates.

Taking cognizance of the situation, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah dismissed the inspector general (IG) of prisons, the deputy IG of prisons, and the then-jail superintendent from their positions due to negligence, which led to one of the most significant jailbreaks in recent years.

He also instructed Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the jailbreak, engaging Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi and Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho.