Malir Jail officer flees amid allegations of aiding escapes

KARACHI: In a major development, the Sindh Minister for Prisons, Ali Hassan Zardari, has ordered the arrest of Malir Jail head constable Rashid Chingari, following serious revelations about internal collusion within the prison system, ARY News reported.

Rashid Chingari, reportedly involved in aiding prisoner escapes, fled after the Minister’s return to the country late last night following a medical check-up. Upon his arrival, Ali Hassan Zardari immediately took action, triggering a crackdown on corrupt elements within the Malir Jail system.

Although Rashid Chingari was not among the 23 prison officials and staff suspended earlier, his name surfaced during follow-up investigations. Reliable sources confirmed that the DIG Prisons has now been directed to suspend Chingari and initiate a full inquiry into his actions.

ARY News recently exposed the network between inmates and select jail officials, bringing the issue to public attention. The report prompted swift action from the Ministry of Prisons, aiming to dismantle the internal support system that allegedly facilitated multiple inmate escapes.

Minister Zardari has instructed authorities to arrest Rashid Chingari without delay and to launch a full investigation into the broader collusion within the jail. He emphasised that no official, regardless of rank, would be spared if found involved in unlawful practices.

Earlier, the Sindh government relieved the IG Jails Sindh from his duty and suspended the DIG Jails and the Malir Jail Superintendent after over 200 inmates escaped from the jail.

Sindh’s senior minister Sharjeel Memon said after a high-level meeting that the government after a preliminary investigation report into the jailbreak confirmed that 138 inmates remain at large.

He said after the Karachi jail incident an inquiry committee has been constituted over the prisoners’ escape.

“The government has taken decision that if fugitive prisoners will surrender within 24 hours, they will be dealt with leniently. Those who will not surrender within 24 hours will be punished under the jailbreak laws and be awarded seven years jail term”, Sindh’s minister said.

He said the Sindh government taking steps after the Malir Jail incident.

According to an inquiry report, chaos began at 12:05 AM midnight at Malir Jail, when inmates initiated a disturbance. Prison staff attempted to regain control, but the situation escalated rapidly.

A significant number of prisoners began vandalizing various sections of the facility. In Circle No. 4, inmates’ broke doors and metal grills, while thousands of others carried out extensive damage in different barracks of Circles 2 and 5.

The report also highlights destruction within administrative areas, including the E-Court, CPLC, and CRO offices.

By 1:00 AM, a total of 216 prisoners had managed to escape, though 78 were subsequently apprehended and brought back into custody, the report further stated.

Additionally, 12 inmates were injured during the incident and are currently receiving medical treatment. One inmate, identified as Tahir Khan, was killed while attempting to flee.

The report paints a troubling picture of the scale of the jailbreak and the challenges facing prison security in Karachi.