Threat alert: K-P govt warns of ‘massive jailbreak’ attempt
Militants could potentially attack four prisons in the province
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government issued a threat alert on Thursday, warning that militants could stage a ‘massive’ prison break in the province in addition to targeting more schools in the province following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s announcement ending moratorium on the death penalty in terror-related cases.
The K-P Home and Tribal Affairs sent a communiqué carrying the warning to all deputy commissioners and central and district jails across the province, officials said.
“We received terror alert today about a possible prison break in four major prisons of K-P,” a senior prison official in the province who saw the letter revealed on condition of anonymity. “The letter warned of a massive jailbreak,” he said, adding that the Home Department has advised prisons to collaborate with the local police to increase security around all high-profile inmates charged with terror-related offences.
Another senior intelligence official confirmed that a threat warning had been issued.
He said there are a number of high-profile terrorists on death row in four prisons in the province who might be executed within days. “The terrorists might attack prisons to free their comrades on death row, especially after the end of moratorium on death sentence,” the official added.
Nawaz on Wednesday announced lifting of ban on executions in terror-related cases after an attack on a military-run school in Peshawar claimed by the Taliban killed 148 people, mostly schoolchildren. The de facto moratorium had been imposed in 2008 and only one person – a soldier convicted by a court martial – has been executed since.
In July last year, dozens of heavily armed Taliban fighters freed nearly 250 prisoners, including hardcore militants, during an overnight attack on the central jail in Dera Ismail Khan. Before that, in April 2012, nearly 400 prisoners escaped from the Bannu jail following a similar insurgent raid.
Talking to The Express Tribune, another official said a ‘comprehensive plan’ was in place for the protection of jails this time round. “In case the Peshawar central jail is attacked, the army will intervene,” he added.
According to the official, the alert issued by the Home Department also warned of more potential attacks on both public and private schools in the province. He said that while there was general warning about potential attacks on schools since August this year, Thursday’s alert was based on ‘specific intelligence’.
K-P police chief vows revenge
K-P Inspector General (IG) Nasir Khan Durrani on Thursday said the blood of the innocent children murdered in the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar “is a debt that will be paid back at any cost.”
Talking to the media after visiting the school, he said there are codes and terms of engagement in all wars, even tribal enmities and feuds. “But the enemy has broken all the rules in a very barbaric manner by attacking the innocent children.”
The IG said investigations into the attack were underway. According to him, while it was too early to provide many details, investigators suspected foreign hands were involved in the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2014.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government issued a threat alert on Thursday, warning that militants could stage a ‘massive’ prison break in the province in addition to targeting more schools in the province following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s announcement ending moratorium on the death penalty in terror-related cases.
The K-P Home and Tribal Affairs sent a communiqué carrying the warning to all deputy commissioners and central and district jails across the province, officials said.
“We received terror alert today about a possible prison break in four major prisons of K-P,” a senior prison official in the province who saw the letter revealed on condition of anonymity. “The letter warned of a massive jailbreak,” he said, adding that the Home Department has advised prisons to collaborate with the local police to increase security around all high-profile inmates charged with terror-related offences.
Another senior intelligence official confirmed that a threat warning had been issued.
He said there are a number of high-profile terrorists on death row in four prisons in the province who might be executed within days. “The terrorists might attack prisons to free their comrades on death row, especially after the end of moratorium on death sentence,” the official added.
Nawaz on Wednesday announced lifting of ban on executions in terror-related cases after an attack on a military-run school in Peshawar claimed by the Taliban killed 148 people, mostly schoolchildren. The de facto moratorium had been imposed in 2008 and only one person – a soldier convicted by a court martial – has been executed since.
In July last year, dozens of heavily armed Taliban fighters freed nearly 250 prisoners, including hardcore militants, during an overnight attack on the central jail in Dera Ismail Khan. Before that, in April 2012, nearly 400 prisoners escaped from the Bannu jail following a similar insurgent raid.
Talking to The Express Tribune, another official said a ‘comprehensive plan’ was in place for the protection of jails this time round. “In case the Peshawar central jail is attacked, the army will intervene,” he added.
According to the official, the alert issued by the Home Department also warned of more potential attacks on both public and private schools in the province. He said that while there was general warning about potential attacks on schools since August this year, Thursday’s alert was based on ‘specific intelligence’.
K-P police chief vows revenge
K-P Inspector General (IG) Nasir Khan Durrani on Thursday said the blood of the innocent children murdered in the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar “is a debt that will be paid back at any cost.”
Talking to the media after visiting the school, he said there are codes and terms of engagement in all wars, even tribal enmities and feuds. “But the enemy has broken all the rules in a very barbaric manner by attacking the innocent children.”
The IG said investigations into the attack were underway. According to him, while it was too early to provide many details, investigators suspected foreign hands were involved in the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2014.