Malir Jailbreak: 126 fleeing prisoners return, still 90 at large

KARACHI: Malir Jail officials on Thursday said that 126 fleeing jail inmates after the jailbreak, have returned back and still 90 prisoners have been at large.

Overall, 216 prisoners had escape from jail, scores of them rearrested by the police in operations or sent back them to jail by their families.

Police conducting raids for arrest of remaining 90 prisoners at large, officials said. Police department has constituted separate teams for arrest of the fleeing prisoners.

The arms snatched by some prisoners during the incident yet to be traced. “Two SMGs were snatched by the prisoners and those who snatched arms, have not been identified, officials said.

An investigation team collecting evidence of the incident from Malir Jail barracks, offices and other spots. Prisoners also being questioned about snatching of arms.

Absence of the CCTV cameras in the prison has been major obstacle in the investigation, officials said.

The Sindh government yesterday relieved the IG Jails Sindh from his duty and suspended the DIG Jails and the Malir Jail Superintendent.

Sindh Minister for Prisons, Ali Hassan Zardari, ordered the arrest of Malir Jail head constable Rashid Chingari, following serious revelations about internal collusion within the prison system.

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.

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.