LAHORE, July 27: The Sialkot jail tragedy is the fourth incident that took place in the past two and a half years for lack of security.

In all incidents, either prisoners were killed or they managed their escape.

A senior prisons department official responsible for security and inspection had not taken strict disciplinary action against jail staff responsible for all three incidents. In each case, jail officials were either exonerated or minor penalties were imposed on them, notwithstanding the seriousness of the issue.

Some prisons department officials accuse the security in-charge of appointing people of his liking against key posts in district jails and protecting them in case of any lapse on their part.

In a major slip-up in the year 2000, defunct Sipah-i-Sahaba activist and condemned prisoner Shabbir, alias Fauji, escaped from the District Jail, Lahore.

A departmental inquiry report held warden Maulvi Riaz and head warden Ghulam Fakhar responsible for the escape of the hardened criminal. They escaped punishment and were allowed to keep the key posts.

In the year 2001, 11 armed prisoners escaped from the Mandi Bahauddin jail through the main gate. In that incident, the jail superintendent was exonerated while his juniors were made a scapegoat.

According to the rule 993 of the jail manual, a jail superintendent is responsible for all affairs taking place inside the jail.

In the year 2002, convict Yousuf Kazab was shot dead by a fellow prisoner in the Kot Lakhpat jail. Inquiry absolved superintendent Farooq Nazir of all charges while services of his juniors —- an assistant superintendent and wardens —- were terminated.

Sources said the security in-charge had himself tortured some Sahiwal jail prisoners who held hostage a deputy superintendent about six months back. When their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to various jails in the province. Two of them died in the Kasur jail.

“Six of the jail staff were suspended while no action was initiated against the person (the security in-charge) who had tortured and seriously wounded the prisoners,” the sources said.

The security in-charge refused to offer any comments when contacted by this reporter.