Latest news with #ArshadShah
NHK
04-06-2025
- General
- NHK
Over 200 inmates break out of prison in Pakistan
More than 200 inmates broke out of a prison in the coastal city of Karachi, Pakistan. Local media say the jailbreak happened on Monday night after a series of earthquakes. About 80 of the escapees were recaptured, but more than 100 are still at large. Jail superintendent, Arshad Shah, told reporters that an earthquake struck at around 11 o'clock at night. He said that it rattled the prisoners and created a sense of panic among them. Officials temporarily evacuated the prisoners to the jail's courtyard. But some of them grabbed guns from the guards and opened fire. A shootout reportedly left at least one prisoner dead and three security officials injured. The prison houses roughly 6,000 inmates charged with minor crimes such as narcotics use. The jailbreak is reportedly one of the largest the country has seen.
ABC News
03-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Hundreds of prisoners escape after earthquake in Pakistan
More than 200 prisoners have escaped jail in Pakistan after they overpowered prison guards following a series of earthquakes, police said. The jailbreak began early Tuesday, after hundreds of prisoners were allowed to leave their cells because of the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister said. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff and forced open the main gate after a shootout, evading paramilitary soldiers. At least one prisoner was killed and three guards wounded, said Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon. "I heard the firing for quite some time and then some time later prisoners made their way out running in all directions," Bukhsh, a private security guard at a residential complex opposite the jail, told Reuters. He added that some of the prisoners entered the apartment complex before being taken away by police. The jailbreak was one of the largest in Pakistan history, Lanjar said. The District Malir prison, which houses 6,000 inmates, is in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, the country's biggest city. Prisoners ran through the area throughout the night, some of them barefoot, with police giving chase, local TV footage showed. About 80 of those who escaped had been caught, said Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister. The jail's superintendent, Arshad Shah, told reporters that there were 28 prison guards on duty at night, and that "only a few of such a large number of prisoners escaped". He said the prison did not have security cameras. Officials said the inmates, many of them heroin users, had been unnerved by the earthquakes. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar. The provincial chief minister said it was a mistake for prison authorities to have allowed the prisoners to leave their cells. He urged the inmates still at large to hand themselves in, or face a serious charge for breaking out. "Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism," Shah said. Reuters
CTV News
03-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Over 100 inmates escape from a Pakistan prison after an earthquake evacuation in Karachi
Police officer and paramilitary soldiers stand guard outside the district Malir prison, from where more than 100 inmates escaped overnight, in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Raza) KARACHI, Pakistan — More than 100 inmates escaped from a prison and at least one was killed in a shootout in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi overnight after they were temporarily moved out of their cells following mild earthquake tremors, officials said Tuesday. Kashif Abbasi, a senior police official, said 216 inmates fled the prison in the capital of Sindh province before dawn. Of those, 78 had been recaptured. No one convicted or facing trial as a militant is among those who fled, he said. One prisoner was killed and three security officials were wounded in the ensuing shootout, but the situation has been brought under control, Abbasi said, adding that police are conducting raids to capture the remaining escapees. Ziaul Hassan, the home minister of Sindh province, said the jailbreak occurred after prisoners were evacuated from their cells for safety during the earthquake. The inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled. The superintendent of Malir prison, Arshad Shah, said the inmates fled toward a nearby residential area. According to residents, police later used mosque loudspeakers to alert them to the jailbreak and seek help in arresting the escapees. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who is not related to the prison official, asked the escapees in televised comments to voluntarily return, saying they had only been involved in minor crimes until that point. But he said they could face terror charges if they are arrested by police on the jailbreak charge. Though prisoners have escaped while being transported to court for trial, prison breaks are not common in Pakistan, where authorities have enhanced security since 2013 when the Pakistani Taliban freed more than 200 inmates in an attack on a prison in the northwestern district of Dera Ismail Khan. Karachi has experienced several mild and shallow earthquakes in the past 24 hours, ranging from 2.6 to 3.4 in magnitude, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Center. The Associated Press
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Indian Express
Over 200 prisoners escape from Pakistan jail during evacuation after earthquake
At least 216 prisoners escaped from a Pakistani jail after chaos erupted during a precautionary evacuation following an earthquake in the region, according to media reports on Tuesday. One inmate was killed, and three paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel and one jail staff were injured in the Monday night incident in Karachi's Malir jail, Geo News reported. According to prison authorities, over 80 prisoners have been recaptured. Karachi has been hit by a series of earthquakes in the last 24 hours. Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah said over 600 prisoners were taken out from their barracks during the tremors. 'Amid the chaos, 216 managed to flee,' the report quoted Shah as saying. He added that over 135 prisoners remain at large, and search efforts are ongoing. Law enforcement authorities have launched a joint operation to track down the remaining escapees. Sindh's Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar termed the incident the 'most serious jailbreak' in recent years, the report said. The minister said that all escaped inmates were identified, and targeted raids were underway at their residences and adjoining areas. He added that an enquiry committee would be formed to investigate the incident. Malir Jail housed over 6,000 inmates at the time of the incident, most of whom were involved in drug-related cases, the report said, quoting prison officials. Karachi has experienced 16 mild earthquakes since Sunday, according to the Seismic Monitoring Centre of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- The Hindu
Over 200 prisoners escape from Pakistan jail during evacuation after earthquake
At least 216 prisoners escaped from a Pakistani jail after chaos erupted during a precautionary evacuation following an earthquake in the region, according to media reports on Tuesday (June 3, 2025). One inmate was killed, and three paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel and one jail staff were injured in the Monday (June 2, 2025) night incident in Karachi's Malir jail, Geo News reported. According to prison authorities, over 80 prisoners have been recaptured. Karachi has been hit by a series of earthquakes in the last 24 hours. Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah said over 600 prisoners were taken out from their barracks during the tremors. "Amid the chaos, 216 managed to flee,' the report quoted Shah as saying. He added that over 135 prisoners remain at large, and search efforts are ongoing. Law enforcement authorities have launched a joint operation to track down the remaining escapees. Sindh's Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar termed the incident the "most serious jailbreak" in recent years, the report said. The Minister said that all escaped inmates were identified, and targeted raids were underway at their residences and adjoining areas. He added that an enquiry committee would be formed to investigate the incident. Malir Jail housed over 6,000 inmates at the time of the incident, most of whom were involved in drug-related cases, the report said, quoting prison officials. Karachi has experienced 16 mild earthquakes since Sunday, according to the Seismic Monitoring Centre of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
