Prison break: KKH bus carnage accused escape from jail

Four of the five inmates who fled were accused of killing 10 people in a sectarian attack.

GILGIT:

Five inmates, four of whom were allegedly involved in the Karakoram Highway bus carnage in April, managed to escape from jail early Wednesday after breaking the lock of their cell, police and other sources said.

“The incident occurred at about 2:30am in the District Jail Chilas,” Abdul Qadir, a police officer, told The Express Tribune from Chilas, which is about 130 kilometres from Gilgit.

After breaking their cell, the prisoners managed to climb the boundary wall of the jail and flee.

Three of them have been identified as Hashmatullah, Dil Nawaz and Nadir Ali.

They were allegedly involved in the killing of 10 Shia passengers travelling on the KKH from Rawalpindi to Gilgit.

However, another official said that one of the five absconders — Shireen — was accused in another murder case.

Following the incident, the Gilgit-Baltistan government suspended three policemen and launched an inquiry.

According to sources, a special police team has been deputed to catch the runaway prisoners.

Sources said police raided several houses during the day to hunt down the absconders.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2012.