ISLAMABAD: A convicted woman prisoner allegedly escaped from police custody with the help of a police official at the district courts’ parking in Islamabad, police said.

Following the incident, a policeman was booked for allegedly assisting the prisoner in her escape.

The police said Mujahid Squad Islamabad police picked up some beggars, including the woman. All the beggars were later shifted to Women Police Station for legal action. Later the beggars were booked under sections 9 and 10 of Prevention of Beggary Act and put behind bars on November 10.

The next day a three-members’ police team – a lady ASI, a lady constable and a constable/police driver - took the beggars, including the woman, to the court of assistant commissioner sub-divisional magistrate city for the hearing. After hearing the magistrate sentenced them to 60 days imprisonment.

Later the police team brought them to the parking area to shift them to Adiala Jail. The court’s order and the beggars were handed over to the police driver, and the lady ASI left from the spot for the hearing of another case.

Later in the evening the police driver informed the ASI that all the six convicts were shifted to jail and handed over to jail administration. However, verification from the jail on November 12 revealed that the woman beggar had not been received.

Investigations over the matter, including footages of the CCTVs installed there, revealed that the police driver, allegedly in collusion with the family of the woman, helped her escape from the parking of the district courts.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2026