Prisons DIG suspended over militants' escape

Jailbreak was not reported the day it occurred, CM told

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suspended on Monday the prisons DIG for negligence that resulted in the escape of two prisoners from Central Jail, Karachi.

He made this decision while presiding over a meeting on the security of prisons all over Sindh and to review progress of the inquiry being conducted into the incident. The meeting was attended by Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Prisons Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Parvez, Karachi AIG Mushtaq Maher, Prisons IG Nusrat Mangan and other officers, along with CTD AIG Sanaullah Abbasi, who is conducting the inquiry into the escape.

The CM was of the view that no prisoner could escape from the prison without the help of jail officials. He was told that prisons DIG Ashraf Nizamani had conducted no jail inspections before the incident occurred. The CM then ordered to place the services of the prisons DIG under suspension and directed the home minister to appoint a competent police officer in the DIG's place.



"Let the inquiry report come [then we will] launch a cleanup operation," the CM said, adding that the government will not spare any jail official involved in facilitating the escape.

The prisons minister told the CM that after the incident on June 13, he had ordered the arrest of 15 jail officials, including the jail superintendent. He also mentioned the search operation at central jail, in which a hoard of illegal items were recovered.

IG Mangan contended that the TV sets, pedestal fans and stoves recovered were given to the inmates under the jail manual and only mobile phones were illegally supplied to the inmates.



The CM expressed displeasure on hearing that the escape incident was reported to the jail authorities on June 14, whereas it had occurred a day earlier. "This is very serious. Had it been reported the same day, the fugitives could have been arrested again," he remarked, asking the prisons IG to brief him about the headcount system for prisoners.

IG Mangan explained that in the evening, the headcount incharge, who is a head constable, conducts a headcount of the inmates and records it in a register. "This means that on June 13, the headcount was recorded as complete as per the numerical strength of the inmates, which was contrary to the fact," the CM interrupted, adding that the headcount system is defective, inefficient and a mere formality. "Had it been efficient, the escape of prisoners would have been detected in the headcount," he remarked. The prisons IG told the CM that the headcount incharge was in custody and was being interrogated for falsely registering the headcount.

AIG Abbasi said the search of the jail prior to the collection of evidence by the investigation officer and his team was to remove evidence. "The search should have been conducted after the collection of evidence by the concerned investigation officer," he said.



He informed the meeting that both the escaped inmates belong to Karachi. He also raised objections to the FIR registered against the crime, calling it defective. He said instead of getting physical remand of the arrested jail officials, the investigation officer sent them in judicial custody, which has affected the interrogation. Listening to this, the CM ordered the suspension of the SHO and IO concerned.

The CM directed the home secretary to conduct a security audit of all the prisons in the province. He also ordered him to remove officials with dubious service records from duties in the jails. "Our law enforcement agencies arrest terrorists and outlaws through hard work and sacrifices. Prisoners cannot be allowed to escape," he stated.