New details have emerged about the prison break occurred at the District Jail Rawalakot in Poonch on Tuesday afternoon with at least one of the escaped inmates said to be wanted by India.
Nineteen inmates, including several convicted of serious crimes, escaped the facility after overpowering a guard and breaching the main gate.
The incident took place around 2:30 pm. The prisoners, who had reportedly planned the escape, overpowered the guard at the main gate, using force to gain access.
While police responded, their efforts were limited, resulting in a shootout that left one inmate, identified as Khayyam Saeed, dead. Saeed had been serving a five-year sentence.
Among the escapees are six inmates sentenced to death: Saqib Majeed, Usman Iqrar, Shameer Azam, Amir Abdullah, Faisal Hameed, and Nazir Yasin.
Among the other inmates Nauman Asif, Asif Dilbar, and Saqlain Sarfraz were serving 20-year sentences, Mukarram Faisal, Sajid Nazir, and Sohail Rasheed 10-year sentences.
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Ghazi Shahzad, Faizan Aziz, Osama Murtaza, Umam Mustafa, and Muhammad Shabir were still under trial. One other inmate, Haibatullah, was in the lockup.
Sources revealed that Ghazi Shahzad, who was under trial, is a member of a banned organization and is wanted by India. He is believed to have been the mastermind behind the prison break.
Following the incident, authorities have launched a full-scale manhunt for the escaped prisoners, establishing checkpoints throughout the district.
Additionally, a high-risk inmate has been transferred from the District Jail to a more secure location.
