MIRPURKHAS/UMERKOT: An Umerkot-based doctor, Shah Nawaz Kunhbar, was shot dead by police in an alleged extra-judicial killing in Mirpurkhas on Thurs­day, a day after he was booked on allegations of blasphemy.

On Wednesday, the medical professional was booked by Umerkot police under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly posting ‘blasphemous content’ on Facebook following protests by religious parties.

Reportedly, the suspect had fled to Karachi, but was arrested by Umerkot police and brought to Mirpurkhas, where he was allegedly killed by Sindhri police in an ‘encounter’. Police, however, denied arresting the man from Karachi.

Sindhri SHO Niaz Khoso, however, confirmed the killing of the suspect, saying the doctor along with ‘accomplices’ opened fire at police. In retaliatory action, the suspect was shot dead whereas his alleged accomplice managed to escape, he claimed.

Mob burns man’s body after snatching it from heirs; family say slain doctor was struggling with mental health issues

Mirpurkhas’ CIA police also shared the same version of events. Police claimed the incident occurred during snap-checking near the Kanta stop in Sindhri.

A day earlier, Dr Shah Nawaz had issued a video statement on his social media, saying that his account had been hacked and he could not even imagine sharing blasphemous content. According to the Umerkot District Headquarters Hospital MS, Dr Shah Nawaz was a dedicated doctor, who went ‘missing’ on September 12, which could be due to a ‘psychotic episode’.

It may be noted that the situation had turned tense in Umerkot following protests against the alleged incident of blasphemy. A large crowd of enraged protesters gathered in front of the press club on Wednesday demanding the immediate arrest of the doctor. They also set fire to a police mobile.

‘Body burnt’

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.

The family fled to Nabisar Thar, where they were pursued by zealots who did not let them bury the slain suspect. However, upon returning to Janhero with the body hidden in a car, a mob managed to snatch the corpse and set it on fire. The slain man is survived three sons, a daughter, and his widow.

According to his family and locals, Dr Shah Nawaz was struggling with a mental disorder and had been under treatment for four years. His nephew, Dr Shahid, a psychiatrist in the UK, used to treat him and had also prescribed medication at regular intervals.

Dr Mataro Hingorjo, working as a family physician in Ireland, told Dawn that Dr Shah Nawaz was a “deeply religious person”.

“Academically, he was among the top ten in his class—an intelligent, dedicated nationalist with a strong spiritual side, at least during his periods of mental clarity,” he added.

Despite several attempts, the SSP Mirpurkhas and other police officers could not be reached for comment.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024