Malir jailbreak exposes systemic flaws

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KARACHI: A recent jail break in the District Jail Malir on June 3, 2025 has revealed a dangerous reduction in security measures, which has raised serious concerns about the negligence of the Sindh Jail and Sindh Home Department.

Despite the official upgrade of this facility by the Boastal Institute Lindhi in 1993 by the Boastal Institute Lindhi in 1993, no significant upgrade or improvement has been brought in the last three decades, which has led to such incidents. Official records show that Malir Jail has a severe decline in security infrastructure. In the event of any emergency, there is no wireless communication system to facilitate direct contacts between the jail administration, jail superintendent and local district police, and CCTV cameras were not installed in the jail.

Moreover, the absence of an emergency siren means that the jail against sudden threats is unsafe. For more than 30 years, this facility has failed to increase important equipment such as walking tacoxes or its physical structures, which require a lot of need at the height of the gel walls, which does not agree with the growing young prisoner. In addition, there are no barbed wire on the walls, nor is jammers installed to avoid escaping. Failure to purchase heavy duty iron doors for a safe imprisonment poses a constant risk of tragedies. Due to the lack of emergency alert system, strong physical obstacles, and proper locking methods, exploiting old and ineffective facilities for prisoners has become dangerously easier.

Sources in the Sindh Department added that the recent jailless was especially dramatic. Malir Prison, which can keep only 2,200 prisoners, lived in more than 6,000 living at the time of the incident. The department’s jail record shows that at least 150 of the 250 approved staff should have been in the jail, yet only 22 staff members were on duty at the time of the incident. The incident was launched by the earthquake, which took place at 11:56 am, resulting in a violation of Barrack No. 3A. Subsequently, the prisoner escaped from the main gate without facing significant resistance by overcoming security.

Although a guard deployed at the jail headquarters tried to resist, the rest of the staff chose to prefer their safety by fighting the escaped prisoners. Frontier Corps (FC) personnel deployed outside the jail responded forcefully, which fired more than 700 rounds.

Disturbing, the Malir Jail administration failed to inform any law enforcement agencies, including the district police and Rangers, nor did they contacted the emergency number 15. Shortly afterwards, Malir police conducted the operation when the SHO witnessed some extraordinary situation around the jail and alerted the police. The Rangers then joined the scene. According to the jail record, 225 prisoners escaped in chaos, 149 of them were recovered.

The author tried to contact the Interior Department for his version but he remained irresponsible. However, a spokesman for Sindh Chief Minister’s Abdul Ashid Chana told the news that the Sindh government had taken the jail break seriously. The investigation into the matter is underway at a high level. Security situation will be reviewed in all the prisons of the province, including Malir Prison, and a comprehensive plan will be developed, and special measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

Mr Chana added that strict action has been taken by converting any police officer into jail laws to appoint an IG jail. Former IGP Jail, DIG Karachi Jail and Malir Jail Jail Superintendent have been suspended in the same incident.