Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Rawalkot prison was escaped from by 19 inmates, six of whom were on death row. However, one of the convicts got injured during the escape and died later at a local hospital.
This occurred between 2 pm and 2:30 pm on Sunday when a prisoner asked a guard to take his ‘lassi’ (a yoghurt drink) outside his barrack. At this point the prisoner seized the chance to overpower him, took away his keys and opened other barracks where at least 19 prisoners made it to the main gate as cited by Dawn quoting police.
During that time, a gun was thrown there inside through the roof which was used for breaking open lock from inside. One prisoner was injured during gunfire, others managed to escape they said.
Regardless of plans for building another prison in suburban areas, progress has been limited. Following jailbreak, eight prison officials including deputy superintendent were taken into custody by authorities for investigation. Similarly, PoK government promptly set up an inquiry committee within one week time span following this incident.
Late yesterday night Information Secretary Ansar Yaqoob revealed that PoK’s PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq had suspended several prison officials while ex-officio Inspector General of Prisons Badar Munir who served as Special Home Secretary has been removed from his position. Subsequently Munir has been attached with Services Department as OSD.
Among those who escaped are six death row inmates reportedly led by Ghazi Shahzad from Sudhnoti district in PoK; he had been arrested along with three accomplice from Hajira town by counter-terrorism department previous year. Consequently Shahzad booked under anti terrorism act and APC section 302 is yet to be convicted unlike three others confined along with him and one more person kept with them due to some involvement in some earlier event reported Dawn.
More details given by authorities identified those who escaped and the deceased inmate, Mohammad Khayyam from Mutyalmera village. Police have heightened security across the division following this incident, sealing all entry and exit points of Poonch to assist in recapturing the prisoners.
