In an unprecedented jailbreak, over 200 inmates escaped from District Malir prison in Karachi late Monday night, capitalizing on chaos triggered by a series of mild earthquakes.
The mass breakout, one of the largest in Pakistan’s history, has left authorities scrambling to recapture the fugitives, with 80 already back in custody, one inmate dead, and several guards injured.
The incident began just before midnight when prison officials, responding to tremors that rattled Karachi, evacuated hundreds of inmates to the prison courtyard as a precautionary measure. According to Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, the decision was made to ensure inmate safety amid fears of structural damage.
However, the move backfired as panic spread among the prisoners, many of whom were heroin users and reportedly agitated by the quakes. “There was panic here because of earthquake tremors,” Lanjar told reporters at the scene. “It was hard to control a throng of up to 1,000 people.”
Seizing the opportunity, a group of inmates overpowered the 28 guards on duty, snatching their weapons and sparking a violent shootout. One prisoner was killed, and three guards were wounded in the clash. The inmates then forced open the main gate, fleeing into the surrounding Malir district, a poor residential and industrial area.
Local TV footage captured scenes of barefoot prisoners sprinting through the streets, pursued by police and paramilitary forces. A private security guard, Bukhsh, stationed opposite the jail, recounted hearing prolonged gunfire before seeing inmates scatter “in all directions.”
The Malir prison, housing over 6,000 inmates, primarily holds individuals charged with minor offenses, including drug-related crimes.
Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon noted that most escapees were involved in “small-time crimes like drug addiction,” with no confirmed militants among them.
However, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah warned that those still at large face severe consequences, including potential terrorism charges, if they do not surrender. “Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism,” Shah stated, calling the decision to evacuate prisoners a critical error.
Karachi has been rattled by 16 mild earthquakes since Sunday, with magnitudes ranging from 2.6 to 3.4, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Center. Two back-to-back tremors on Monday night, measuring 2.6 and 2.8, struck northeast of Malir, exacerbating the unrest inside the prison.
A recaptured inmate, Siraj, told reporters that the quakes sparked widespread panic, with prisoners breaking gates in the ensuing chaos.
The jailbreak has exposed significant security lapses at the facility, which lacks surveillance cameras.
Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah downplayed the scale of the escape, claiming “only a few” of the large inmate population fled, but the incident has drawn sharp criticism.
Social media footage, including videos shared by accounts like
@DefenceNewsOfIN
, showed inmates fleeing and police cordoning off the area, with one official admitting uncertainty about the exact number of escapees: “Jo nikal gaye, woh nikal gaye... Abhi counting karenge toh pata chalega kitne nikle hain.” (Those who escaped, escaped... We’ll know how many got out after counting.)Authorities have launched a citywide manhunt, with police conducting raids to apprehend the remaining 136 escapees.
The breakout has drawn comparisons to a 2013 Taliban-orchestrated prison attack in Dera Ismail Khan, where over 200 inmates were freed, highlighting ongoing challenges in Pakistan’s prison security.
Chief Minister Shah has vowed to hold prison officials accountable, and a probe is underway to investigate the circumstances of the escape. Meanwhile, residents of Malir remain on edge as police urge the public to report sightings of the fugitives.
The incident underscores the delicate balance between safety protocols and security risks in crisis situations, leaving Karachi’s authorities grappling with the fallout of a night of chaos.
reports from Reuterse
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