Civil society activists stage demo in Umerkot, demand justice for Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar

hyderabad: A protest demonstration was held in front of the Umerkot Press Club on Wednesday by civil society activists against the killing of Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar by the Sindhri police in an alleged fake encounter, with protest leaders terming the death of the doctor an “extrajudicial killing”.

Workers of various civil society organisations from across Sindh participated in the demonstration. They were led by Comrade Punhal Sario, Hareem Kunbhar, daughter of Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, and others. They chanted slogans “soil of Sindh needs peace”, and “the land of peace needs peace”.

Addressing PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, speakers said he has been claiming to be the chairman of a democratic and secular party, but his party’s MNA from Tharparkar, Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jeelani, has been seen garlanding police officials who killed Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, grade 18th officer, in an alleged fake encounter. They said the MNA needs to be denotified as he has been promoting fanatic practices.

The civil society demanded initiating in an inquiry into the gruesome killing, imposing a ban on hatemongers from the TLP, arresting DIG Javed Sonharo Jiskani for negligence of duty and as well as the police team members who killed the doctor.

They accused the Umerkot SSP, along the police team, of breach of trust, saying the police team handed the doctor over to the Sindhri police to kill him, left the doctor’s heirs helpless, abandoned his body after his murder and let a mob burn his body later.

Speaking on the occasion, advocate Junaid Kunbhar, a cousin of the deceased, said Dr Shah Nawaz was killed in Mirpurkhas after he was arrested in Karachi between last Wednesday and Thursday night. On the second day of the incident, provincial minister Sardar Ali Shah confirmed the arrest of Dr Shah Nawaz by Umerkot police, and condemned his death, calling the police encounter a drama, the advocate added.

The civil society activists demanded that it should be investigated who instigated the mob through social media to kill Dr Shah Nawaz, who announced the head money, who asked people not to let his body be buried in the graveyard of his native town and who burned it. All these people must be put behind bars to avoid mob justice in the future, they added.

The daughter of the deceased said that if her father had really committed blasphemy through a video statement. She said the social media post attributed to his father was not in his name as it was apparently put up by some Shah Nawaz Shah. “Why then was my father killed?” she asked.

Civil society representatives announced powerful protest demonstrations in Karachi on 6th October and appealed to the people of entire Sindh to appear to reject extremism.

On the other hand, religious parties observed a shutter-down strike in the Badin city on a call of religious parties against the alleged blasphemous post on social media.

Badin’s Shahi Bazaar, Shahbaz Road, Shahnawaz Chowk, and other business centres remained closed throughout the day. A protest demonstration was held. In his address, Molvi Hafeez Samoon said people who are involved in blasphemy should not be forgiven in any way. He demanded that blasphemy activities should be stopped on social media.