A major security breach occurred on Monday when 14 undertrial prisoners escaped from an Adiala Jail prison van near Chakian Stop in the jurisdiction of Sihala Police Station. According to police officials, the prison van was carrying 36 undertrial prisoners who had appeared before the Tehsil Court in Kahuta.
The incident took place while the vehicle was being transported back to Rawalpindi's Central Jail after a court appearance. A spokesperson for Rawalpindi Police confirmed that all the escaped individuals are undertrial prisoners facing various criminal cases.
Police have since recaptured four of the escapees, while search operations continue to locate the remaining ten. The sudden escape created panic among the escorting police team, who immediately launched a pursuit and successfully rearrested some of the fleeing prisoners at the scene.
An investigation has been initiated under senior officials' supervision, with City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Khalid Hamdani taking notice of the security lapse. Senior officers have been asked to submit a report regarding the incident.
Background: This is not the first time that prisoners have escaped from Pakistani jails in recent years. Last year, over 200 inmates escaped from Karachi's Malir Jail during an earthquake-related evacuation, with at least one prisoner killed and several security personnel injured during the jailbreak.