A medical officer who was booked under blasphemy laws was killed in an alleged police encounter near Sindhri town in the Mirpur Khas district in the early hours of Thursday.
Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar was named in an FIR under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code by Umerkot police. Asif Raza Baloch, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Umerkot, ordered the registration of the FIR against Dr. Kumbhar after riots erupted in various parts of Umerkot district and other areas.
SSP Baloch attempted to calm the enraged protesters in Umerkot town on Tuesday, assuring them that the accused would be arrested promptly for what he described as a heinous and unpardonable crime that had sparked significant anger and indignation throughout the region.
The accused was reportedly killed in an encounter involving joint police teams from Umerkot and Mirpur Khas districts. A vast majority of people took to social media platforms to laud the actions taken by the police teams, claiming that Dr. Kumbhar deserved such an end to his life. They asserted that he had severely hurt the sentiments of millions through his blasphemous posts.
However, some rights activists condemned the police officials for allegedly staging the encounter after arresting the suspect. They argued that the accused should have been presented in court for trial.
Meanwhile, several notable figures from the Kumbhar community demanded security for the relatives of the accused, claiming that enraged individuals were attempting to harm them in their village of Jhaniero in Umerkot district, despite the fact that they had completely disowned Dr. Kumbhar even after his death.