Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Tuesday announced that Inspector General of Prisons Qazi Nazir has been removed from his post, while DIG Jails Hassan Sehto and Malir Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah have been suspended.

The move comes amid growing public criticism over what is being dubbed one of the biggest jailbreaks in the province’s history.

According to an official notification, Muhammad Aslam Malik has been appointed as the new DIG jails.

Speaking to the media, Memon called the Malir Jail incident an “embarrassment” for the Sindh government and said the matter was being taken very seriously at the highest levels.

“The IG Jail has been removed immediately. The officers who were negligent have been suspended,” Memon confirmed. “This is not something we can overlook. If the escaped prisoners are not arrested within 24 hours, cases under anti-terrorism laws will be filed,” he warned.

He added that those involved in the jailbreak will be arrested soon, and an internal investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and identify further lapses.

Memon clarified that there was no element of terrorism involved in the jailbreak. The escape, he said, appeared to be the result of gross mismanagement, panic following an earthquake, and a complete failure of security protocols inside the jail.

“This was not a planned terror attack. But the incident has raised very serious concerns about prison management and emergency preparedness,” Memon said.