everal Sufi singers, poets, Sindhi nationalists and human rights activists from across the province recently stood around a fresh grave recently as folk singer Khushboo Leghari sang a song in Sindhi. It said: “Love for humanity is out faith and our religion. We do not want conflict, wars or the devil. We only want love.” The grave holds the remains of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, who was allegedly killed by a police officer after he was accused of blasphemy.

Dr Kunbhar, who had served at the Civil Hospital in Umerkot, had been suspended from service after an FIR was registered against him. His death sparked widespread condemnation and social media protest by Sindh’s civil society, peace activists and women’s rights activists. Some of them also took to the streets to protest against what they called religious extremism.

Blasphemy charges were levelled against Dr Kunbhar and an FIR lodged after a violent protest by some ‘religious’ groups in Umerkot. Speaking next to the Umerkot Press Club, a cleric then announced a Rs 5 million bounty for his killing. Videos circulating on social media showed SSP Asif Raza Baloch talking to some religious leaders and assuring them that a case would be registered against Dr Kunbhar and that he would be arrested.

However, the agitation continued and a police vehicle was set on fire. The following day some religious groups called for a strike in Umerkot and the businesses were shut down.

That night, a video statement by Dr Kunbhar appeared on Facebook. In it, he disowned the allegedly blasphemous content and said the Facebook account used was an old account he had stopped using a long time ago. He requested the police and the FIA to investigate the matter.

Dr Kunbhar’s mother, Naimat Kunbhar, told The News on Sunday that the police had demanded three hostages from the family until Dr Kunbhar surrendered. She said the family had decided to hand over his father, Muhammad Saleh Kunbhar, a retired teacher. The authorities deny this, however, and say that the family was taken into protective custody to prevent harm.

Dr Kunbhar, who was visiting Karachi, was then contacted by his family.

Mir Hasan Arisar, a progressive writer from Umerkot says Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s cousin and brother-in-law had agreed to help police locate him and an assurance that he will not be harmed. He says the police had given such an assurance.

A team of Umerkot police eventually arrested him from Karachi. This fact was later acknowledged by minister Sardar Shah while making a statement in the Provincial Assembly.

On September 19, Mirpurkhas police announced that Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar had died. It also said two cases had been registered against him for attacking the police and for possession of illegal weapons.

SHO Niaz Mohammad Khosa of Sindhri police station claimed in the FIR that during at patrol, his team saw two men on a motorcycle near Sabzal Stop on Khipro-Umerkot Road and tried to stop them. However, one of the men fired at the police. The police took cover and fired back. The suspect riding pillion, Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, later succumbed to his injuries. The identification was based on the identity card found in his pocket.

Dr Kunbahr’s father, Muhammad Saleh, told TNS that the police had kept him in private custody. He said he was handed over his son’s body in Mirpurkhas.

His ordeal did not end there. As Saleh was taking the body to Umerkot in an ambulance, a mob blocked their path and told him they could not enter the village. When they tried an alternative route, the mob appeared again. The body was then placed in a private car and taken to the family’s farm after some clerics declared that ritual prayers or regular burial in a graveyard would not be allowed.

In the end, the body was seized by an armed mob and set on fire. The family members of the deceased were threatened and told to leave. A police team arrived later and said they supervised the burial.

Some videos of the burning body circulated on social media. However, SSP Asif Raza said these had been edited.

Videos showing DIG Javed Jiskani and SSP Capt Chaudhry Asad, being honoured, garlanded and receiving a red carpet of rose petals from some clerics, have also emerged.

The home minister later formed a committee, led by DIG Pervez Chandio, to investigate the case and DIG Jiskani, SSP Chaudhry and SHO Khosa were suspended from service.

Outrage

The civil society reacted strongly. Activist Sindhu Nawaz Ghanghro, JSQM leader Niaz Kalani, Rawadari Tehreek leader Panhal Sario and singers Khushboo Leghari and Manjhi Faqir announced a gathering at Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s grave, where they led prayers.

Standing by the grave, Leghari and Faqir sang Sufi songs. Sindhu Nawaz said that Sindh’s identity was rooted in tolerance, love and peace. He said they would lay down their lives to protect this identity.

Dr Kalani said the police had failed in their duty. He said a death in police custody was a great injustice; disallowing a decent burial was an outrage.

Inquiry

A four-member police team has concluded that Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar died in a fake encounter. It noted that the Umerkot police had arrested him from Karachi and handed him over to Mirpurkhas police.

The report mentions that on September 19, a large number of people gathered at the offices of the Mirpurkhas DIG and SSP and praised the officers for their role in Dr Kunbhar’s killing.

Based on the investigative report, Advocate Ibrahim Kunbhar, a cousin of the deceased, has filed a complaint at Sindhri police station against DIG Javed Jiskani, SSP Captain Asad Chaudhry, SSP Asif Raza Baloch [please verify], SHO Niaz Khosa, the CIA in charge and some local clerics besides some unidentified people. The charges include murder, terrorism and rioting. The FIR mentions visible torture wounds on the body of the deceased.

Several human rights defenders have filed a petition before the Sindh High Court. The court has placed the names of the DIG and the SSPs on the Exit Control List. Meanwhile, Maulana Umar Jan Sirhandi, named in the FIR, has been granted bail.

Minority rights concerns

Pastor Ghazala Shafiq, a Minority Rights March leader, was among the participants in the civil society protest in Umerkot. She said she worried that extremism was growing and that mob lynching could become a trend. She also said it was extremely unfortunate that some police officers had started joining hands with lynch mobs.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 63 blasphemy complaints were filed in 2023 and 552 people were imprisoned on the charges.

The writer is a freelance journalist and a researcher. Her X handle: @FehmidaRiaz