RAWALAKOT: Over 20 inmates escaped from Rawalakot District Jail after taking the police personnel hostage. As per details, the police officials stated the prisoners opened fire on cops, injuring one inmate who was arrested later.
The escaped prisoners include dangerous criminals, according to police. A shootout exchange occurred between police and prisoners on the outskirts of the city, killing one inmate. Most of the escaped prisoners were serving life sentences or facing death penalties. The police are working to track down the fugitives and restore order in the area.
The police have released a list of the escaped prisoners and a heavy contingent has been deployed in the area. A search operation is underway to recapture the fleeing inmates, SSP Rawalakot said. According to police, the deceased prisoner was arrested in a drug trafficking case. The district jail staff has been taken into custody, and an investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, a report detailed that 19 prisoners on Sunday escaped from the District Jail Rawalakot in Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, taking police officers hostage in the process.
According to police reports, the inmates, including the notorious Ghazi Shahzad, managed to overpower the police officers at gunpoint before making their escape. SP Bagh Khuram Iqbal detailed the incident, stating that the prisoners opened fire on the police during their escape.
In the ensuing shootout, one prisoner was injured and subsequently died from his injuries. Law enforcement agencies have since established blockades in an effort to recapture the escaped prisoners.
Ghazi Shahzad, who had served in another military organization after his tenure with the Pakistan Army, has a history of involvement in various operations. He had been in jail for a considerable period and had even contested the last general elections from the Palindri city constituency on a United Movement ticket.
Shahzad was detained near Hajira a few days after his press conference and booked under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) provisions. His escape from jail today has raised significant security concerns.
Inspector general prisons has assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to determine how the prisoners managed to escape.
Efforts are being intensified to recapture the fugitives and prevent any further security breaches, he added.
According to another report, “the inmates had a revolver that they used to hold a sentry hostage,” said Badar Munir, an official with the regional ministry of interior. “It is unclear whether they seized it (the weapon) from jail officials or if it was brought in from outside,” Munir added.
The incident took place at the Poonch district jail in Rawalakot city, about 110 kilometres (68 miles) south of Muzaffarabad. “In total, 20 people escaped from the prison. One was killed in the crossfire, while 19 others remain at large,” the inspector general of Kashmir prisons, Waheed Ali Gillani, has said.
A senior local police official, Riaz Mughal, told a news agency that police had blocked the entry and exit points of Rawalakot, and a search operation was currently under way to locate the escapees.
In a separate incident, several inmates escaped the prison in Balochistan’s Chaman after overpowering guards when they were allowed out of cells for Fajr (morning) prayers.
The incident unfolded as the inmates of barrack No. 4 were being led out for prayers. Seizing a moment of opportunity, the prisoners launched a sudden and coordinated attack on the prison guards, overpowering them and taking control of the situation.