ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi were hunting nearly a dozen inmates after they escaped from a prison van, they said on Monday.
Prison vans in Pakistan are often overcrowded, lack modern surveillance and locking systems, and are accompanied by limited security personnel during transfers of inmates.
Initial investigation suggested a fierce fight broke out among the prisoners ahead of Monday’s escape in Sihala area of Islamabad, according to police.
Police said four prisoners were arrested during a search. They did not say how many were still on the run, but local media reported a hunt was ongoing for 10 other inmates.
“Special teams are conducting a search operation for the arrest of the remaining inmates,” Rawalpindi police said on X.
“An investigation has also been initiated under the supervision of senior officers. Strict departmental action will be taken against those responsible.”
The South Asian country has seen several similar incidents in the past, prompting calls for authorities to upgrade prisons, improve transport infrastructure and strengthen security protocols.
In June last year, more than 200 inmates managed to escape from the Malir prison in Karachi after they were shifted outside their cells due to safety concerns when the city was shaken by earthquake tremors, police said.
A year earlier, 20 detainees, some accused of terrorism, staged a prison break in Azad Kashmir, officials said, with at least one “killed in the crossfire” during the escape.
Militant groups have also organized several mass jailbreaks in Pakistan in the past, including one in the northwestern town of Bannu in 2012 that sprung 400 prisoners.
