A major prison break occurred at Karachi&rsquo;s Malir District Jail late Monday night when 216 inmates escaped amid confusion caused by a precautionary evacuation following an earthquake. The incident resulted in one inmate being shot dead and injuries to multiple law enforcement personnel, including three Frontier Corps officers, two policemen, and a jail staff member.
The situation unfolded after tremors were felt in the city, prompting prison authorities to move inmates out of their barracks. According to Sindh&rsquo;s Inspector General of Police, around 2,000 prisoners were brought out for counting.&nbsp;
The prisoners took advantage of the disorder, pushing through the jail&rsquo;s door and fleeing the premises. A police official explained, &ldquo;Most of the prisoners were drug addicts. The addicts&rsquo; state of mind is such that they tend to develop mob psychology. Thus, when such an atmosphere was created inside the prison, the prisoners ran by opening the door of the jail.&rdquo;
Superintendent of Malir Jail, Arshad Shah, confirmed that 216 inmates managed to escape during the chaos. &ldquo;Amid the chaos, 216 managed to flee,&rdquo; he stated.&nbsp;
He noted that more than 600 prisoners had initially been removed from their cells during the tremors. So far, over 80 of the escapees have been recaptured, while search operations continue for the remaining 135.
To contain the situation, Frontier Corps personnel fired approximately 700 rounds into the air in an attempt to disperse the prisoners and regain control. Two policemen suffered abrasions to their feet, backs, and necks after being assaulted by inmates and are currently receiving medical treatment. One of the escapees was later returned to the facility by his mother.
Karachi has experienced a series of mild earthquakes in the past 24 hours, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department&rsquo;s Seismic Monitoring Centre reporting 16 tremors since Sunday.
Sindh&rsquo;s Home Minister, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, described the event as the &ldquo;most serious jailbreak&rdquo; the province has faced in recent years. He confirmed that all fugitives had been identified and that law enforcement agencies were conducting targeted operations at their homes and nearby locations.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This is the most serious jailbreak in recent years,&rdquo; Lanjar stated, adding that a formal enquiry committee would be established to investigate the circumstances leading to the mass escape.
Ali Hasan Zardari, Sindh&rsquo;s Minister for Prisons, has also taken notice of the incident and has demanded comprehensive reports from both the Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General of Prisons.
At the time of the jailbreak, Malir Jail housed over 6,000 inmates, the majority of whom, according to prison officials, were being held on charges related to drug offences.
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During a post-quake evacuation in Karachi’s Malir Jail, 216 inmates escaped; over 130 remain at large.

Over 200 Inmates Escape Jail During Karachi Quake

During a post-quake evacuation in Karachi’s Malir Jail, 216 inmates escaped; over 130 remain at large.

June 3, 2025 | 16:28 IST