Family of blasphemy-accused Umerkot doctor files FIR against 45 suspects

The family of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar — who was killed by Mirpurkhas police in a staged encounter over a blasphemy accusation — filed a first information report (FIR) on Friday against 45 suspects, including top police officials and a cleric, over his killing.

The doctor hailing from Umerkot was shot dead by police in an alleged extra-judicial killing in Mirpurkhas on September 19, a day after being booked on allegations of blasphemy.

After the encounter, the body was handed over to the family, who brought it to Janhero — the native village of the suspect — for burial. However, they had to escape after a mob descended on them to snatch the body, which they later burned.

An inquiry into the incident was launched and Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday presented the findings, saying the probe found that police “staged the encounter”.

Lanjar announced the registration of the case today, attaching a copy of it to his statement on X.

“In case number 147/2024, registered in Sindhri police station, 45 people, including the former DIG, two SSPs, two inspectors … have been named,” he said, adding that a cleric was also named.

The home minister maintained that the Sindh government strongly opposed extrajudicial actions and believed in “justice and fairness”.

“No matter how powerful or high [ranking] an officer someone is, respect and observance of the constitution and the law is mandatory for everyone,” Lanjar reiterated.

The Sindhri police registered the case on the complaint of the slain doctor’s brother-in-law under Sections 34 (common intention), 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 302 (punishment for murder) and 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code; Sections 6 and 7 (terrorism/punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Sections 8 and 9 (punishment for torture/punishment for custodial death) of the Torture and Custodial Death Prevention and Punishment Act of 2022.

The FIR was lodged against the suspended Mirpurkhas deputy inspector general (DIG), two senior superintendents of police (SSP) of Mirpurkhas and Umerkot respectively, and a cleric among 45 suspects.

The FIR said that Dr Shahnawaz was arrested from Lyari and was killed in Mirpurkhas’ Sindhri area on September 19.

It said that blasphemy charges were levelled against Dr Shahnawaz and he fled the area after a violent protest by “religious groups” in Umerkot. The doctor contended that his social media accounts had been hacked and he was not behind the posts.

However, the FIR said a cleric in Umerkot led a large rally demanding that the police arrest the doctor and warning that otherwise, the crowd would take matters into its own hands.

It added that Dr Shahnawaz travelled to Karachi and met another relative on September 18. It further said that the Umerkot SSP ordered a police team to go to Karachi and arrest the doctor, which the personnel did in the presence of a relative of the deceased.

The FIR said the complainant’s brother informed him on September 19 that Dr Shahnawaz was killed in an “encounter” in Sindhri at 4am, with Mirpurkhas police registering a case half an hour later.

It added that when the doctor’s coffin was taken for burial, a mob attacked the ambulance carrying the remains. “We could not perform the rites,” the complainant said, adding that the mob later snatched the body and set it on fire. The complainant added that the doctor’s body bore marks of torture in addition to the bullet wounds.

He alleged that the Sindhri station house officer (SHO) filed two “fake” FIRs against the doctor, while high-ranking officials from Mirpurkhas police told the media that Dr Shahnawaz was killed in an encounter.

“They were given rewards, cash prizes and garlands by different people at the DIG office,” the complainant added. “By doing so, these officers spread fear and terror in the area.”

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