PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department on Wednesday issued show cause notices to seven police officials over the July 2013 Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak and directed them to explain position within seven days by responding to the notices.

It warned the officials failing to comply with the directives would face action under the law.

According to a handout issued by the department here, the chief minister ordered necessary action against the police and jail officials named in the report of a government inquiry into the DI Khan prison-breaking.

Also read: D I Khan jailbreak: Action against 58 officers recommended

It said a two-member inquiry committee consisting environment secretary Dr Hammad Owais Agha and Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Malakand chairman Fazli Rabbi had put up its findings on the July 2013 incident to the government while naming the relevant police and jail officials.

The handout said the chief minister ordered disciplinary or departmental action against the said officials.

Among the officials, who got show causes notices, are former DSP (headquarters), DI Khan Abdul Ghafoor, who is now posted as the DSP (CTD), Peshawar; former DSP (city), DI Khan Salahuddin, who is currently serving as the SP (CTD), Bannu; former SP (Elite Force), DI Khan Tauheed; line officer of DI Khan Noor Aslam; reserve inspector Umar Daraz Khan; former SHO of the police station, DI Khan cantonment Mohammad Nawaz, and ex-superintendent of the DI Khan Central Jail Ghulam Rabbani.

According to the handout, the officials in question were responsible for the safety of DI Khan jail but they failed to do the duty and thus, leading to the escape of hundreds of dangerous prisoners to threaten the law and order situation in the province.

The handout said the policemen were told to submit written replies to the notices to the competent authority within seven days and if that didn’t happen, then ex-parte action would be taken against them, which can culminate on their dismissal from service.

Also, inspector general of prisons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Kifayatullah Khan has been tasked with taking action against the 67 jail officials found responsible for the July 2013 incident.

Published in Dawn, September 11th , 2014