CTD report highlights 'alarming' security at Karachi Central Jail

KARACHI: Terrorists imprisoned at Karachi Central Jail had access to the prison's record room and sensitive documents, revealed a report by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), months after the escape of two high-value inmates.

Prison officials were not allowed to sit in the ward housing terrorists, whereas the jail's internal security was termed as "alarming" by the report submitted to an anti-terrorism court on Tuesday. 

The CTD recommended the removal of ten prison officials, including the senior superintendent and deputy superintendent.

It said that inmates confined in wards 25 and 26 have subjected prison officials to torture several times, but no action was taken against influential prisoners despite complaints. The inmates were also not taken to their cells till late at night.

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There was a lack of standard operating procedures when inmates were produced in the jail’s judicial complex, the CTD added in the report and further stated that there was no register present in the complex to note down details of the convicts. 

In another shocking revelation, the CTD officials said that terrorists had complete access to the record room and sensitive documents. The inmates would get their production orders issued when they desired.

A convicted inmate was responsible for issuing production orders of terrorists, as prison authorities had made a convict, Arshad Ali, assistant to the prison clerk Yasir Ali.

The convict, who was acting as an assistant to the prison clerk, issued production orders for Ahmed. 

On the day of the escape of two LeJ terrorists, the prison was locked up at 11pm in the night.

CTD's report also stated that the terrorists were provided full chance to flee the prison and were reported missing while being produced before a court the next day.

The report further stated that Senior Superintendent Jail Ghulam Murtaza Sheikh and nine others have been found negligent in discharging their duties.

The CTD had earlier said that the two LeJ terrorists escaped to Afghanistan after breaking out of Karachi jail in June.

The CTD had also informed that the suspects fled to Afghanistan through the Chaman border in Balochistan.

As many as twelve police personnel, including the jail superintendent and deputy jail superintendent, were arrested at the behest of Sindh law and prisons minister after the jail break.

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A case was also registered against the officials in New Town Police Station.

Later, investigations showed that the two prisoners were also aided by other inmates as well.

A report by the CTD, prepared after the jailbreak, had stated that prisoners belonging to banned outfits are virtually running the Karachi Central Jail and managing their network from behind bars without any fear or repercussions.

The report had added that prison officials have no power or control over certain dangerous prisoners, who openly hurl threats at the officials.

The prison administration is forced to oblige to demands of certain prisoners of banned outfits, specifically Hafiz Qasim Rasheed alias Ganja, and are unable to implement prison rules and regulations either due to fear, incompetence or negligence, said an earlier CTD report.