Govt stance on Kunbhar’s murder unprecedented: CM

Sindh’s chief minister has said that the stance of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) provincial government on Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s murder is unprecedented in the country. He remarked that even then Section 144 was violated by those who call themselves Rawadar (tolerant) as they protested against the incident.

CM Syed Murad Ali Shah made these comments on Friday while addressing the media after laying a floral wreath at the memorial of the martyrs of the Karsaz incident. Replying to a question, Shah explained that the government had taken a clear stance by disclosing the initial report on the Dr Kunbhar case.

“Had the government not prepared a genuine report on the murder within a day, the public would not have been able to learn the facts surrounding this tragic incident,” he said, adding that this demonstrates his government’s commitment and sincerity.

“We included the names of senior police officers in the FIR, removed them from their posts, and placed them under investigation. However, some individuals, rather than appreciating the government’s efforts, are playing politics.”

Shah revealed that Section 144 was imposed to prevent protests and demonstrations on the day the Rawadari March (tolerance march) was scheduled, as a religious party had called for a counter-protest.

“This was a serious situation, and to avoid any untoward incidents, the Sindh government requested the organisers of the Rawadari March to postpone theirprotest, but they chose to violate Section 144,” he said.

“This incident [Dr Kunbhar’s murder] was unfortunate, and nothing like it has ever occurred in this land. Sindh is the land of Sufis, who believed and preached that humanity is the beautiful, loveable, valuable and respectable creation of Almighty Allah. Therefore, bloodshed under any pretext is forbidden in Islam as well as in all religions,” said the CM.

“We won’t allow anyone or any mob to take the law into their own hands,” he asserted, emphasising that there is an established investigation system and judiciary to determine the veracity of the allegations against the doctor.

Shah said that through the media he had apologised to the participants of the Rawadari March for their experience, adding that despite the violation of Section 144, he has ordered an impartial inquiry into the incident. “I spoke with the organisers of the Rawadari March, but in return, they began responding to the government through the media, which was indecent and unreasonable.”

Karsaz incident

The CM noted that Benazir Bhutto had returned to Karachi 17 years ago after her exile. “Countless people from across Pakistan gathered [at the airport] to welcome their beloved leader.”

He added that due to the overwhelming crowd, Benazir’s convoy took 10 hours to reach Karsaz, where it was met with an explosion. Although hundreds of party workers were killed in the blast, a large number of them gathered around Benazir to protect her, Shah remarked, highlighting the extent of love and respect the people had for their leader.

Discussing Benazir’s courage, the CM noted that the morning after the incident, which had claimed 180 lives, she visited the injured PPP workers at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, then went to Lyari to offer condolences to the families of the slain workers.

He said that 180 workers were killed, and through their blood and the sacrifice of Benazir, democracy returned to this country. “This democracy is priceless, as our great leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto sacrificed her own life for it.”

Responding to a query, Shah explained that the killers of the workers at Karsaz and of Benazir in Rawalpindi could not be traced because the crime scenes had been washed, hindering a thorough investigation.

“I had provided details of the Karsaz incident to the CTD [Counter Terrorism Department] for investigation, but they informed me that the ground evidence was not available, and so it could not be traced.”

Regarding the constitutional amendment, the CM mentioned that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is working to develop consensus on each proposed clause. Shah was accompanied on the occasion by provincial ministers Nasir Shah and Jam Ikram Dharejo, MPAs Mukesh Chawla and Imdad Pitafi, and others.