Inquiry blames jail officials for mass escape

37 inmates still missing since mild tremors caused Landhi Jail wall collapse

KARACHI:

The high-level inquiry into the dramatic jailbreak of June 2, when 225 inmates escaped from the District Malir Jail, has concluded that the incident was enabled by "gross negligence, inadequate security and failure of command and control," rather than being solely a reaction to the mild earthquake tremors felt that night.

Following the findings, Shah Latif Town Police have registered a criminal case against three jail officers - Superintendent Arshad Hussain, Deputy Superintendent Zulfiqar Pirzada and Assistant Superintendent Abdullah Khaskheli - under multiple Pakistan Penal Code sections. The case has been transferred to the In-Charge Investigations, CIA Malir Division.

The FIR - filed by Assistant Superintendent of District Malir Jail, Mola Bakhsh Sehto - states that between 11:30pm and 1:30am on June 2, mild tremors were felt in Karachi. During this time, 225 prisoners - including suspects in heinous crimes - took advantage of weak perimeter fencing and broken barriers and escaped due to the jail's "grossly inadequate security measures."

According to the complainant, police rearrested 80 inmates shortly after the incident from different parts of the city, while 188 were later recaptured over the following weeks. However, 37 prisoners remain at large, raising serious concerns over public safety.

A three-member inquiry committee, comprising the Chairman Commissioner Karachi and the Additional IG Karachi, found that the jailbreak represented a "complete collapse" of internal and external surveillance, a total lack of emergency preparedness, and failure to maintain command and control at gates and watchtowers. These failures were directly attributed to the three nominated officers responsible for overseeing that section of the prison.

The Home Department, through a notification dated October 8, 2025, adopted the inquiry report, which held the officials responsible for endangering citizens, facilitating dangerous inmates' escape, and violating mandatory security protocols.

The complainant requested strict legal action, stating that the accused officers' negligence allowed convicted and under-trial criminals an opportunity to evade punishment:

"Their carelessness and failure to act put public safety at risk and resulted in one of the most serious jailbreaks in Karachi's history," the FIR reads.