KARACHI: Four officials of District Jail Malir were booked on Sunday over charges of intentional omission and negligence as an undertrial prisoner (UTP) allegedly involved in the recent kidnapping and murder of a trader escaped from the prison on Saturday, police said.

Shah Latif Town SHO Mumtaz Marwat said that a special programme had been arranged inside the prison on Saturday in connection with Marka-i-Haq. Later, when the jail administration carried out a headcount of the inmates, one prisoner, namely Syed Tahir Naveed alias Polka, was missing.

The escaped UTP was sent to jail on April 27 after his arrest by the Jauharabad police in connection with the kidnapping and murder of the trader.

It may be noted that the escapee was acquitted by a court in the journalist Wali Babar murder case.

The officer said the Jailer Waheed Husain had registered a case against four officials — Mohsin Ali Meo, Ashraf, Noor Ahmed Bilo and Aziz Mughal — under Sections 222 (intentional omission by a public servant to apprehend or keep in confinement a person charged with or convicted of an offence, or allowing them to escape) and 223 (escape from confinement or custody negligently suffered by public servant)of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The SHO added that no one has been arrested so far.

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for Jails Ali Hassan Zardari took immediate notice of the incident and ordered strict action against those found responsible.

He directed authorities to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances under which the inmate managed to flee from the jail.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026