KARACHI: Sindh government on Wednesday dismissed seven police officials from service after an inquiry found evidence of their involvement and even alleged facilitation in the escape of two high-profile Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militants.
In June 2017, Sheikh Muhammad Arif Firon and Ahmed Khan Arif Manako belonging to the banned militant outfit had managed to easily escape Karachi’s Central Jail. The two were presented in the jail’s judicial complex for a hearing when they managed to flee the prison.
A former Senior Superintendent Police of Karachi Central Prison and six other officials were among the dismissed policemen.
According to notifications issued by chief secretary Sindh, Rizwan Memon, the 15 jail officials were issued a charge sheet under Rule 4-A (I) of the Sindh Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973. The development occurred when a team of investigators led by DIG Prisons Capt (r) Pervez Ahmed Chandio conducted a detailed investigation into their escape and concluded that over a dozen jail officials “abetted and facilitated” the jailbreak.
“The accused Senior Superintendent of Prison Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh and his accused subordinates behaved carelessly, negligently and dishonestly throughout their tenure in maintaining discipline and order at the Central Prison Karachi,” according to the findings of DIG Prisons.
DIG Chandio opined that at the time of the jailbreak the prison was being influenced by some “powerful” prisoners instead of the jail administration.
He stated, “The accused officers miserably failed to enforce Sindh Prisons Rules, 1978, and the departmental SOPs during the period in question, which ultimately created a loose environment for hardcore prisoners namely Mohammad Ahmed alias Munna and Shaikh Mumtaz to escape easily.”
