RAWALPINDI: Following escape of under-trial prisoners from a police prisoner van, the Rawalpindi police have devised a fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for transportation of prisoners’ including their security, police safety, to prevent escapes and maintain order.

The DSP Legal on behalf of Rawalpindi district police chief will request the provincial home secretary to allow trial of heinous cases of terrorism on the jail premises.

The decisions were taken at a meeting with City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani in the chair on Wednesday.

The meeting, attended by SSP Operations, SSP Investigation, SP Saddar, SP Security, DSP Kahuta, SHOs and other officers, reviewed the progress regarding the arrests of the escaped prisoners.

SOP has been devised for prisoners’ security while being brought from Adiala jail for the proceedings of their cases in the court of law as the SP Headquarters will be responsible for checking the duties of police personnel.

According to SOP, handcuffs and prison vans will be checked and maintained while specialized police gunmen will be deployed during journeys starting from Adiala to district courts.

The same police guards will not be deployed with UTPs at the same destination and their duty schedule will be reshuffled. It should also be made sure that no police guard takes a prisoner to his home on his own.

The CPO directed the Kahuta police to hand over the three arrested under-trial prisoners to Islamabad police as the other remaining seven escapees will be rearrested soon.

The arrested suspects were involved in a murder cases.

Rawalpindi Police have been busy conducting raids to arrest the accused, said the police spokesman. Separate police teams headed by SP Investigation and SP Operation have been combing the surrounding areas of Charah to re-arrest the remaining absconding UTPs involved in heinous cases, police spokesman said.

Of the 36 under-trial prisoners, 14 managed to escape after overpowering and throwing red-chili powder into the eyes of security staff while being transported from Kahuta to Adiala jail on Monday.

However, four of the escapees were rearrested by police soon after their escape while a search was launched to arrest the ten others.

During the meeting CPO Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani reviewed the progress regarding the arrest of the escaped prisoners.

He also ordered the special investigation committee to submit a factual report soon regarding the arrests of fleeing prisoners.

The CPO said that the arrangements regarding the movement of prisoners and detainees are being reviewed again and directed senior officers to make foolproof arrangements and to devise such a system so that such an incident does not occur in the future.

He also said that action will be taken against those responsible based on a detailed report regarding the motives of the incident.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2026