Death row inmates escape from prison in Kashmir
In the Pakistani part of the Cassimir region, 18 prisoners have escaped from a prison, among them several sentenced to death. Police chief Riaz Mughal stated that a prisoner was shot during the prison breakout at the Rawalakot jail the previous day. A large-scale search operation for the escaped prisoners has been launched.
Six of the prisoners were reportedly in the death row, and three others were serving life sentences, according to the police chief. Prison breaks of this scale are rare in Pakistan, he added.
Official reports indicate that one of the inmates had a pistol, which he used to overpower a guard. He then took the keys to the prison cells. The warden and some other officials were released, while others were taken into custody for questioning, Mughal said.
The Himalaya region is divided between India and Pakistan. Their south Asian neighbors have fought three wars against each other since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
The prisoners who escaped, including those on death row and serving life sentences, were clad in cashmere-like attire, a luxury often provided to high-profile inmates in Pakistani prisons. The escaped death row inmates are now considered dangerous fugitives, with a high probability of returning to their old criminal activities once they evade capture.
