At least 15 government officials, including high-ranking civil and police officers from both Bannu and adjoining Mirali sub division of North Waziristan Agency, have been held responsible for the jailbreak that resulted in the escape of 384 prisoners from Bannu Jail on April 14.
The attack was meant to help Adnan Rashid, sentenced to capital punishment in unsuccessful attack on former president Pervez Musharaf along with other militants. After the incident, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister had constituted a three member inquiry team of Dr Ataur Rehman, Mushtaq Jadoon and Inspector General of Prison Khalid Abbass.
Through highly-placed sources, Pakistan Today learnt that the inquiry commission had compiled a 22-page report and dispatched it to the chief minister. The report is likely to be made public after its detail scrutiny in the cabinet meeting.
According to official sources, the three parts of the report comprises 1) routes and roads along with procedure adopted by the Taliban while attacking the Bannu Jail, 2) inefficiency on the part of government employees and 3) recommendations for combating or discouraging similar attacks in the future. The inquiry committee has recorded statements of more than 200 people, including more than 150 government employees. The committee members also recorded statements of jail inmates, including around 140 prisoners who escaped but later returned or were arrested. According to officials, the Bannu commissioner, DIG, DPO and DSP were held responsible for their inefficient performances and role.
Similarly, the inquiry commission also leveled inefficiency allegations against the officials in political administration of both Mirali and Frontier Region Bannu for their inactive and inefficient role. There was no mentioning of the role of the Bannu district coordination officer and Bannu Jail superintendent, both of who were on a leave on the night, while former. There is also nothing mentioned about the role of superintendents of Peshawar, Haripur and Adyala jails and the grounds they shifted dangerous prisoners to Bannu. The Bannu incident has reportedly encouraged militants in other jails of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Insiders said almost all Taliban militants and the chief of banned Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) were enjoying maximum facilities in prisons, while Niaz Mohammad, an accomplice of Adnan Rashid imprisoned in Haripur Jail, was respected like a pir (spiritual leader).
