19 inmates, including six on death row, escaped from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Rawalkot prison. One of the convicts, however, got injured during the escape and later died at a local hospital.
The incident occurred between 2 pm and 2:30 pm on Sunday when a prisoner asked a sentry to move his ‘lassi’ (a yogurt-based drink) outside his barrack. When the sentry obliged, the prisoner overpowered him, snatched his keys, and opened other barracks from where at least 19 prisoners made their way to the main gate, according to Dawn citing police.
At that time, a pistol was thrown inside through the roof , which was used to break the lock from the inside. One prisoner was injured during the gunfire, but the others managed to escape, they said.
Despite plans for a new prison on the outskirts, progress has been minimal. Following the jailbreak, authorities took eight prison officials, including the deputy superintendent, into custody for investigation. Additionally, the PoK‘s government swiftly formed an inquiry committee to investigate the incident within a week.
In a late-night statement, information secretary Ansar Yaqoob disclosed that PoK’s PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq suspended several prison officials and removed special home secretary Badar Munir from his position as ex-officio inspector general of prisons. Munir was subsequently attached to the services department as OSD.
Among the escapees were six death row inmates, reportedly led by Ghazi Shahzad from Sudhnoti district in PoK, who was arrested by the counter-terrorism department the previous year along with three accomplices from Hajira town. Shahzad, booked under the anti-terrorism act and APC Section 302, had yet to be convicted. Notably, his three associates remained in custody, as did another individual involved in a prior incident, reported Dawn.
Further details provided by authorities identified the escaped prisoners and the deceased inmate, Mohammad Khayyam, from Mutyalmera village. Following the incident, police heightened security across the division, sealing all entry and exit points of Poonch to aid in the recapture of the prisoners.
The incident occurred between 2 pm and 2:30 pm on Sunday when a prisoner asked a sentry to move his ‘lassi’ (a yogurt-based drink) outside his barrack. When the sentry obliged, the prisoner overpowered him, snatched his keys, and opened other barracks from where at least 19 prisoners made their way to the main gate, according to Dawn citing police.
At that time, a pistol was thrown inside through the roof , which was used to break the lock from the inside. One prisoner was injured during the gunfire, but the others managed to escape, they said.
Despite plans for a new prison on the outskirts, progress has been minimal. Following the jailbreak, authorities took eight prison officials, including the deputy superintendent, into custody for investigation. Additionally, the PoK‘s government swiftly formed an inquiry committee to investigate the incident within a week.
In a late-night statement, information secretary Ansar Yaqoob disclosed that PoK’s PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq suspended several prison officials and removed special home secretary Badar Munir from his position as ex-officio inspector general of prisons. Munir was subsequently attached to the services department as OSD.
Among the escapees were six death row inmates, reportedly led by Ghazi Shahzad from Sudhnoti district in PoK, who was arrested by the counter-terrorism department the previous year along with three accomplices from Hajira town. Shahzad, booked under the anti-terrorism act and APC Section 302, had yet to be convicted. Notably, his three associates remained in custody, as did another individual involved in a prior incident, reported Dawn.
Further details provided by authorities identified the escaped prisoners and the deceased inmate, Mohammad Khayyam, from Mutyalmera village. Following the incident, police heightened security across the division, sealing all entry and exit points of Poonch to aid in the recapture of the prisoners.
