Probe into prison van escape concludes

Investigations into the escape of 14 undertrial prisoners from a prison van while returning from the Kahuta court have been completed.

According to sources, a three-member inquiry committee, headed by DIG Ashfaq Khan and constituted on the orders of Punjab Inspector General Rao Abdul Karim, has finalised its report and sent it to the IG Office in a sealed envelope. Sources said the SSP Special Branch was also a member of the committee.

The committee reviewed the security arrangements adopted while producing the prisoners before the court, identified shortcomings and examined the reasons behind them. According to sources, the committee has also prepared recommendations to strengthen security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

The report reviews compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for producing undertrial prisoners in court and examines alleged violations.

Sources said the report also includes recommendations regarding the identification of those responsible and future preventive measures.

Fourteen undertrial prisoners had escaped from the prison van while returning from the Kahuta court, after which the Punjab IG ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.