KARACHI: The Sindh government on Wednesday terminated a former Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Central Jail Karachi and 15 other officials of the facility from service after an inquiry committee found their ‘involvement’ in the escape of two high-profile prisoners in June 2017 for which they were already under arrest and facing trials, according to officials and documents obtained by Dawn.

The two LJ militants — Sheikh Mumtaz, alias Firaun, and Mohammad Ahmed, alias Munna, who were arrested by the CTD in 2013 for their alleged involvement in the killing of over 60 people, mainly Shia community members and law enforcers — escaped from the Central Jail Karachi on June 13, 2017.

After a detailed investigation into the escape of the two hardcore UTPs, a team of investigators led by DIG Prisons retired Capt Pervez Ahmed Chandio arrived at the conclusion that over a dozen jail officials “abated and facilitated” the jailbreak.

“The accused Senior Superintendent of Prison, Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh, and his accused subordinates behaved carelessly, negligently and dishonestly throughout their tenure,” the findings of the DIG Prisons said.

According to notifications issued by the Sindh chief secretary the jail officials were dismissed from service.

Apart from the grade-19 officer Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh, other officials who were dismissed from service included deputy superintendent of prisons (grade-17), Faheem Anwar Memon; assistant superintendent of prisons (ASP) (grade-16), Naveed Ahmed; ASP (grade-16), Salik Ayaz Shaikh; ASP, Abdul Rehman Shaikh; head clerk (grade-16), Rafique Ahmed Channa; ASI prisons, Faroosh Mohammad; senior prison constable, Nawab Ali and prison constables namely Atta Mohammad, Mohammad Amir, Abdul Ghafoor, Saeed Ahmed, Mohammad Sajjad, Mohammad Tagial and Nadir Ali.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2018