DIG, SSP suspended over blasphemy accused killing in ‘encounter’

KARACHI: The Sindh government Friday suspended Mirpurkhas DIG police Javed Soonharo Jiskani, SSP Chaudhry Arshad and other officials for mishandling a blasphemy case and alleged fake encounter.

Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lamjar in his message posted on X said that though Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar had hurt the sentiments of Muslims by sharing highly controversial posts against Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the police looked suspicious.

Sindh Health Department medical officer Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar, posted at Civil Hospital Umerkot, had been accused of sharing blasphemous posts on social media and was shot dead during a suspicious police encounter of Mirpurkhas police near Sindhri town.

Following an order of the provincial minister, Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon constituted an inquiry committee to probe the incident. The panel was directed to submit its report within seven days.

Civil society organisations rejected the police inquiry committee and demanded a judicial inquiry and registration of a case against the Mirpurkhas DIG, SSP and others. The provincial ministers and MPAs also expressed their concern about the incident during the Sindh Assembly Session.

Besides the Sindh Human Rights Commission initiated its inquiry regarding the matter.

A Joint Action Committee comprised of six human rights organisations including of National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan (NCHR), the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Human Rights Defenders (HRD), REAT network, Women Action Forum (WAF), Legal Rights Forum (LRF) and activists of civil society, lawyers, writers strongly condemned ‘extra judicial and custodial killing’ of Dr Shahnawaz and demanded a judicial inquiry.

The human rights bodies’ Joint Action Committee demanded PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Sindh chief minister and home minister conduct a judicial inquiry into the extra-judicial killing. The civil society of Sindh rejected the police inquiry ordered by the Sindh Police and demanded FIRs against all the police officers accused of the custodial killing.

Sindh Human Rights Commission head Iqbal Detho visited Village Jhainro of district Umerkot, the hometown of slain Dr Shahnawaz, and met with his family members, and demanded their safety so that they pursue the case of Shahnawaz freely.

As per Miprpurkhas police and contents of the FIR registered on the complaint of police, two suspects, who were riding a motorcycle, were intercepted near Sindhri a small town of Mirpurkhas, both opened fire on the police party and one of accused injured by the firing of his associate who later fled from the scene. The FIR added that when the police approached the injured, they were able to identify him as Dr Shahnawaz of Umerkot and observed that he had a pistol in his hand. The suspect was shifted to Mirpurkhas Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police booked Dr. Shahnawaz and his unknown aide under Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Earlier, there were violent protests in Umerkot by religious parties on Wednesday and Thursday, demanding strict action against Dr Shahnawaz. A large crowd of enraged protesters had gathered in front of the local press club on Wednesday and demanded the immediate arrest of the doctor. The protest ended after the Umerkot SSP assured them that a criminal case would be registered against the suspect. Later a case under Section 295-C of the PPC was registered against slain Dr Shahnawaz.

Protesters also attacked a police mobile van and set it on fire. Police initiated action against the miscreants, arrested 10 suspects, and registered a case against them.