our months have passed since the alleged custodial murder of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar. The promised judicial inquiry has yet to be initiated. This lack of action has been a source of frustration for his family and the civil society organisations in Sindh, who have been unwavering in their demand for justice.

In a letter to the registrar of the Sindh High Court in October 2024, the Home Department said that a case alleging blasphemy (under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code) had been registered against Dr Kunbhar on September 17 at the Umerkot police station. A day later, he was killed in what police described as an encounter in the Sindhri police station area in Mirpurkhas.

According to the letter, the Sindh Police inspector general set up a committee to investigate Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s death in police custody. This committee determined that the police encounter was fake. The finding led to the registration of cases against certain police officials.

The letter said it was now imperative to uncover the actual facts of the case. Such an inquiry is essential in the interest of justice to hold accountable those responsible for the killing and the attempted cover-up. It was proposed that a judge from the High Court be appointed to oversee this investigation.

Four months later, the registrar’s office has yet to issue a notification for the judicial inquiry. The registrar says he has submitted a note to the chief justice regarding the matter.

Advocate Ali Palh, who has been active in the pursuit of justice in Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s case, says he has met with the registrar twice and was advised that a reminder should be issued to the Sindh government. In parallel, attempts have been made to contact Home Minister Zia Lanjhar but in vain.

Advocate Ibrahim Kunbhar, the complainant in the case and a cousin of Dr Shah Nawaz, says that despite written communication by the Sindh government, no judge had been appointed for the inquiry. He speculates that the inquiry might not have commenced out of concern for negative ramifications on the case registered based on the findings of a committee led by DIG Pervez Chandio.

In September 2024, a blasphemy case was registered against Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, who had worked at the Umerkot Civil Hospital, leading to his arrest in Karachi. Subsequently, the police claimed that he was killed in an encounter. His burial was interrupted by certain people who took the body away from the family and set it ablaze.

After protests from Sindh’s civil society, the government constituted a high-level investigation team, which revealed on September 27 that Dr Shah Nawaz had been taken into custody and murdered in a fake encounter. Following this revelation, DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Mirpurkhas and SSP Umerkot were suspended from service. However, none of them has been arrested. This has raised apprehensions for the family and human rights organisations.

In the aftermath of the September 27 report, cases were formally lodged against the suspects, including police personnel.

Advocate Ibrahim Kanhbar pressed charges against DIG Javed Jaskani, SSP Mirpurkhas Capt Asad Chaudhry, SSP Umerkot, some other police officials and a local religious leader, Pir Umar Jan Sarhendi, at the Sindhri police station. He accused them of executing Dr Kunhbar—without due process—due to religious and ideological motives, thereby causing fear and terror in the community.

Babar Kunbhar, Dr Shah Nawaz’s younger brother, lamented the evident absence of justice. Considering no charge sheet has been presented and no arrests made, he speculated that the DIG and the SSP enjoy political protection that prevents their arrest.

Despite the filing of the FIR, no police officer has been arrested. The National Commission on Human Rights has since petitioned the Sindh High Court that in cases of custodial death, investigations should be conducted by the FIA, with oversight from the commission. The court has agreed, resulting in the FIA registering an FIR for the murder case.

Anis Haroon, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, says the delay by the FIA is surprising and suggests collusion.

During its last hearing, the Anti-Terrorism Court seized of the matter issued non-bailable arrest warrants for DIG Javed Jaskani, SSP Asad Chaudhry and four other police personnel, ordering their arrest and appearance in court on January 8.

According to Advocate Ibrahim, two cases have been filed against them: one related to the desecration of Dr Kanhbar’s corpse at the Umerkot police station and another for kidnapping and murder at the Sindhri police station in Mirpurkhas.

Ibrahim says that the FIA case has identified 22 suspects, of whom nine are on interim bail, five have been arrested and 8 are absconding. The High Court and the Anti-Terrorism Court have expressed their dissatisfaction and described the lack of arrests as indicating a lack of seriousness in pursuing the fugitive police officers.

The simultaneous filing of two FIRs has led to some confusion. It is apprehended that this could benefit the named suspects. Ibrahim says that the ambiguity arising from the two cases could complicate the investigation, raising concerns about which FIR will guide judicial proceedings.

The accused have challenged the registration of two FIRs. Barrister Asadullah Rashdi has cited a Supreme Court order (in Sughra Bibi case) prohibiting the registration of two FIRs over a single incident.

In a related development, Dr Shah Nawaz’s body was exhumed for a second post-mortem, which indicated that five of his ribs were broken, that there were fractures in both shoulder bones and his right arm, suggesting severe physical trauma inflicted before death.

Video recordings at the hotel from where Dr Shah Nawaz was arrested show unidentified individuals in civilian attire taking him away. Advocate Ibrahim says that the FIA have yet to present important forensic reports from mobile phones, videos and other digital evidence that could significantly strengthen the case.

Barrister Asadullah Rashdi has criticised the FIA for conducting a ‘blind’ investigation and failing to address the family’s concerns. He says they intend to seek a judicial inquiry from the High Court.

Babar Kunbhar, Dr Shah Nawaz’s younger brother, has lamented the evident absence of justice. As no charge sheet has been presented and no arrests made, he speculated that the DIG and the SSP enjoy political protection that has prevents their arrests.

The murder of Dr Shah Nawaz spurred outrage across Sindh, leading to protest demonstrations as large crowds flocked to Umerkot to show solidarity with the family of the deceased. Babar emphasised the ongoing need for support from civil society and the people of Sindh to overcome obstacles to justice.

Sindhu Nawaz Ghanghro, a leader of the Rawadari Threek Sindh, who led a rally in Umerkot, has expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation’s trajectory, highlighting what she perceives as the government’s neglect in addressing the issue of extrajudicial killings.

Ghanghro has voiced her frustration over the lack of immediate action following Dr Shah Nawaz’s death, noting that no FIRs were filed until public pressure mounted. Community leaders like her are calling for more street protests to press for justice.

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