QUETTA: The Balochis­tan government has orde­red a combing operation for the arrest of 13 under-trial prisoners who esca­ped a district jail in Cha­m­an on the first day of Eid, whereas a jailer and other officials were suspended for negligence.

Home and Tribal Affairs Minister Ziaullah Langove has ordered a probe into the incident.

Officials said that 17 prisoners kept in the district jail were facing trial in cases related to ‘heinous crimes’ and added that the suspects escaped after attacking the jail and security staff when they were brought out of their cells for morning prayers.

“The prisoners attacked the jail staff, opened fire after snatching a weapon from a security guard and managed to injure police personnel,” Naeem Achakzai, Chaman’s senior superintendent of police, told Dawn.

He added that with the help of weapons snatched from police, they also broke the locks of the gate and escaped.

Police teams rushed to the site and started chasing prisoners, during which an exchange of fire took place, killing one prisoner. At least two others were injured and shifted to the district hospital Chaman. According to a hospital official, the condition of the injured prisoners was “serious”.

The deceased prisoner was identified as Abdul Bari, a resident of Chaman, while the injured prisoners were identified as Abdul Salam Badezai and Mohammad Omer Alizai.

“One prisoner who escaped from the jail has returned back to the jail voluntarily,” SSP Achakzai said, adding that a search operation was underway in Chaman, especially near the border area with Afghanistan.

He said that mostly 25 security personnel performed security duty in the jail where under-trial prisoners were kept during the hearing of their cases.

He said that at least 17 under-trial prisoners were detained in jail and added that most of the security staff, including police personnel, were sent for security duty at mosques and public places on account of Eid congregations.

A senior security official said that prisoners might have planned a jailbreak in light of lax security in the jail. Officials said it seemed that the prisoners have crossed into Afghanistan after escaping from the jail.

The SSP Chaman suspended a deputy superintendent of police and other jail staffers for their negligence. Further investigation is underway.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2023