Pakistan: 19 Inmates Escape From Rawalkot Prison In PoK, One Shot Dead

The jailbreak occurred between 2 pm and 2:30 pm on Sunday. It began when a prisoner asked a guard to move his 'lassi' (a yogurt-based drink) outside his barrack.

Nineteen inmates, including six on death row, escaped from a prison in Rawalkot, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. One of the prisoners was injured during the escape attempt and later died at a local hospital.

The jailbreak occurred between 2 pm and 2:30 pm on Sunday. It began when a prisoner asked a guard to move his 'lassi' (a yogurt-based drink) outside his barrack. When the guard obliged, the prisoner overpowered him, took his keys, and unlocked other barracks, allowing 19 prisoners to head for the main gate, DAWN quoted police as saying.

The breakout occurred when an inmate at the Rawalakot prison used a pistol to force a prison guard to hand over the keys. As per the report of the police, out of the 18 prisoners who escaped, 6 were on death row and another 3 were serving life sentences. Another prisoner who was serving a five-year sentence was shot dead while escaping, the official added, PTI reported.

Police have initiated a large-scale search operation in the area. Authorities have also launched a probe into the incident, leading to the dismissal of the chief of the prison and several other officers. Some officials have been apprehended for questioning.

According to Samaa TV, seven officials, including the deputy superintendent of Rawalakot Jail, have been detained as investigations into the security breach initiated.

In response to the failure of security, all jails across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have been kept on high alert. The government requested the judicial commission to investigate the circumstances leading to the escape, the report highlighted. 

According to the DAWN, in a late-night announcement, Information Secretary Ansar Yaqoob disclosed that PoK's Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq had suspended several prison officials and dismissed Special Home Secretary Badar Munir from his role as ex-officio Inspector General of Prisons. Munir has since been reassigned to the Services Department as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD).