Latest news with #Zia-ul-HasanLanjar
Hans India
4 days ago
- General
- Hans India
Mass prison break in Pak after quakes trigger chaos
Karachi: Over 200 prisoners escaped in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late on Monday after they were permitted to leave their cells following a series of earthquake tremors, local officials and police said. Hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the jail due to the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar, adding that it was hard to control a throng of up to 1,000 people. The jailbreak began just before midnight on Monday and carried on till the early hours of Tuesday, he said. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff, leading to a shootout, and then forced open the main gate.
Observer
5 days ago
- General
- Observer
Over 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail
KARACHI: More than 200 inmates escaped from a jail in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late on Monday when they overpowered prison guards after being allowed to leave their cells following a series of earthquakes, local officials and police said. The jailbreak began just before midnight and continued into the early hours of Tuesday after hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the District Malir prison because of the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene on Tuesday. 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 who goes by a single name, said. He added that some of the prisoners entered the apartment complex before being taken away by police. — Reuters
Dubai Eye
5 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Over 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail after earthquake panic
Over 200 prisoners escaped in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late on Monday after they were permitted to leave their cells following a series of earthquake tremors, local officials and police said. Hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the jail due to the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar, adding that it was hard to control a throng of up to 1,000 people. The jailbreak began just before midnight on Monday and carried on till the early hours of Tuesday, he said. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff, leading to a shootout, and then forced open the main gate. On Tuesday, a Reuters reporter at the site saw shattered glass and damaged electronic equipment inside the jail. A meeting room, for prisoners to see their families, had been ransacked. Anxious family members gathered outside the jail on Tuesday. It was one of the largest jailbreaks ever in Pakistan, Lanjar said. The prison in the Malir district of Karachi. Prisoners ran through the area through the night, some barefoot, chased by police, local TV footage showed. Provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said that most of the inmates had been involved in small-time crimes like drug addiction. At least one prisoner was killed in the shooting, which also wounded three prison staff, he said. Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister, said that around 80 prisoners had so far been caught, adding that it was a mistake for the prison authorities to have allowed the inmates out of their cells. He warned those 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.
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- AsiaOne
Over 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail after earthquake panic, says official, Asia News
KARACHI, Pakistan — Over 200 prisoners escaped in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late on Monday (June 2) after they were permitted to leave their cells following a series of earthquake tremors, local officials and police said. Hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the jail due to the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar, adding that it was hard to control a throng of up to 1,000 people. The jailbreak began just before midnight on Monday and carried on till the early hours of Tuesday, he said. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff, leading to a shootout, and then forced open the main gate. On Tuesday, a Reuters reporter at the site saw shattered glass and damaged electronic equipment inside the jail. A meeting room, for prisoners to see their families, had been ransacked. Anxious family members gathered outside the jail on Tuesday. It was one of the largest jailbreaks ever in Pakistan, Lanjar said. The prison in the Malir district of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, is in a poor residential and industrial neighbourhood. Prisoners ran through the area through the night, some barefoot, chased by police, with police managing to round some up into police vans, local TV footage showed. Provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said that most of the inmates had been involved in small-time crimes like drug addiction. At least one prisoner was killed in the shooting, which also wounded three prison staff, he said. Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister, said that around 80 prisoners had so far been caught, adding that it was a mistake for the prison authorities to have allowed the inmates out of their cells. He warned those 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. [[nid:717960]]
Economic Times
5 days ago
- Economic Times
Pakistan hit by one of its largest prison breaks after quakes; 46 recaptured in Karachi
TIL Creatives Ai generated image for representative purposes. Dozens of inmates escaped from Karachi's Malir Jail late Monday night after a series of low-intensity earthquakes damaged parts of the prison, triggering panic and a mass breakout, officials said. Three tremors, ranging between magnitude 3.2 and 3.6, struck within a 24-hour window, with epicentres located along the Landhi Fault. As per reports, the quakes caused cracks in the prison's walls and a partial structural collapse, creating an opportunity for prisoners to flee. 'The jail break occurred after several earthquakes caused panic among the prisoners,' Sindh Law Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar told reporters outside the prison. His remarks were broadcast live on local television channels on Tuesday. Also Read: Pakistani spy held in Punjab for sharing sensitive information As per Reuters, Lanjar confirmed that at least 46 escapees had been recaptured, though he did not provide the total number of inmates who fled. He described the incident as one of the largest prison breaks in Pakistan's history. Authorities have launched a manhunt to locate the remaining fugitives and are assessing the full extent of the structural damage.
