LANDI KOTAL: Two Afghan prisoners disappeared from Landi Kotal sub-jail early on Friday under mysterious circumstances.

Jail head Akhtar Shah told Dawn that the Khasadar Force kept Afghan nationals Khalid and Fayaz at one of the four barracks of the sub-jail after arrest at the Torkham border on Tuesday.

He, however, said no record of the arrests was available at the sub-jail as the two Afghan nationals were in the custody of the Khasadar Force.

The jail head said the arrested men were brought to the jail as the Khasadar Force couldn’t keep them at the police station adjacent to the sub-jail.

Mr Shah didn’t explain how the two prisoners escaped without breaking any lock.

“Their (Afghan nationals’ security) was the job of khasadars as they’re not produced before any court of law,” he insisted.

The jail head said he and three other staff members looked after only the undertrial prisoners, who were duly registered with them.

Sources claimed that the two Afghan nationals were wanted by the Islamabad police in many criminal cases.

They said the security officials were baffled by the escape of the Afghan detainees from the Landi Kotal sub-jail, which was situated inside an army camp.

District police officer Mohammad Iqbal ordered an inquiry into the incident.

ARMS SEIZED: A joint team of the customs and anti-narcotics departments and National Logistics Cell on Friday seized a large quantity of weapons from a truck on the Torkham border.

Officials said they had found a large number of repeaters in the secret cavities of a truck coming in from Afghanistan during scanning.

They said the truck’s driver fled after seeking the permission of the posted officials for the stamping of visa on his passport.

The officials said a case had been registered against the driver, while the truck and arms had been seized.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2019