KARACHI: A police inquiry committee has concluded that Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, an Umerkot-based doctor suspected of blasphemy, was killed in a “staged encounter” in Mirpurkhas on Sept 19.

Following the inquiry report, Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar in a press conference on Thursday ordered a murder FIR against the police officers allegedly involved in the killing.

Dr Kunbhar, who was accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media, was gunned down by the Mirpurkhas police in what they had portrayed as an ‘encounter’.

“Keeping in view the statements recorded, visit of place of occurrence, various police documents, CCTV videos, social media content, call data records, tracker data and secret information collected by inquiry committee from different sources, the committee unanimously is of opinion that the Umerkot police arrested Dr Shah Nawaz from Karachi and handed him to the Mirpurkhas police on the same day. The Mirpurkhas police killed him in a managed encounter and tried to give it a legal cover but failed,” said the inquiry body’s report, reviewed by Dawn.

Home minister orders murder FIR against policemen

“Serious violations of procedures and rules were undertaken by the command of Mirpurkhas range/division, Mirpurkhas police and Umerkot police, including celebrations and jubilations and the way the encounter was portrayed on various platforms,” read the report, suggesting that “strict departmental action” was needed against those involved.

The committee recommended that the family members of deceased Dr Shah Nawaz may record statement and lodge an FIR for the murder.

The inquiry body, led by DIG Shaheed Benazirabad range Parvez Ahmed Chandio and comprising DIG Hyderabad Tariq Razzak Dharejo, SSP Badin Sheeraz Nazeer and SSP Mithi Shabir Ahmed Sethar, was of the view that “the whole episode was not handled seriously as per law and police rules by the officers, including DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Umerkot and SSP Mirpurkhas, lacking over all command, with failure to take decisions as enumerated in legal framework of the country. Strong departmental action is recommended against them.”

The committee pointed out that on Sept 17, Umerkot police received reports that Dr Shah Nawaz had committed blasphemy on social media.

As the news spread, a large number of people gathered in Umerkot and started protesting and rioting.

Umerkot SSP engaged the representatives of the mob and assured them that action would be taken against the accused.

The mob also set ablaze a police mobile and damaged other police vehicles. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the doctor on complaint of a local cleric, Sabir Ali, under Section 295 of PPC while separately, another FIR was registered against the mob for riots.

Pressure by clerics, public

The report said the pressure by clerics and public was mounting on police and an ultimatum of 48 hours was given to police for arresting the suspect.

It said that with the help of modern technology, the Umerkot police traced the suspect in a hotel in the Baghdadi area of Lyari. Sub-Inspector Abdul Sattar talked to suspect Dr Shah Nawaz, convinced him to accompany the police and assured him secured transport to Umerkot.

Then the SI informed SSP Umerkot about the arrest who asked him to come back to Umerkot without delay and without informing local police in Lyari, the report said.

When the police team reached near Hyderabad, “Umerkot SSP directed the police team to hand over the suspect doctor to the Mirpurkhas police.”

The Mirpurkhas police got his custody after which “they killed him in a staged police encounter in the jurisdiction of PS Sindhri, Mirpurkhas”, said the findings.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar speaking at a press conference in Clifton ordered registration of an FIR against the officers allegedly involved in the suspect’s killing. “And if the victim’s family doesn’t file a case, the Sindh government will pursue it,” declared the minister. Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024