UMERKOT: Following days of unrest in parts of Kunri taluka of Umerkot district over the alleged murder of a man on July 7, a police investigation has established that the individual in question had died of natural causes.

SSP Suhai Aziz Talpur categorically stated that the rumours and allegations regarding his murder, which were circulating on social media, were found to be baseless. She also urged people not to believe in misleading and unverified accounts of the man’s death.

The SSP said that Ghulam Rasool had died due to a protracted illness, as was stated by the doctor who examined and treated him.

“The Kunri DSP conducted a comprehensive inquiry into all aspects of the case. He met the doctor concerned, reviewed available records and evidence, and submitted a report, which concluded that no evidence of criminal activity, negligence or misconduct by police officials had been found,” said the SSP in her statement.

The controversy surrounding Ghulam Rasool’s death erupted after claims emerged on social media that he was targeted due to his faith.

A prominent cleric, Umer Jan Sarhindi, and many of his followers, had demanded a transparent judicial probe into the matter.

However, they were also sceptical about the claims circulating on social media regarding his alleged murder. The cleric was quoted as saying that Ghulam Rasool’s body should be exhumed and a postmortem conducted to ascertain the actual cause of his death.

He noted that the deceased owned a piece of agricultural land and there were also reports that he had a property dispute with some other claimants of the land, and indicated the possibility that this issue might have cost his life.

Applications demanding an inquiry into the matter were also submitted by some people in the offices of the Mirpurkhas DIG and other police authorities.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2026