In a significant gathering on Sunday, a large number of rights activists, artists, singers, and political party workers convened at Jahniro village in Umerkot district to offer prayers for Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar who was shot dead in an alleged police encounter following serious blasphemy charges filed against him.
Participants extended their condolences to Dr. Kumbhar's family and expressed deep sympathy. Prominent figures such as Dr. Niaz Kalani, Punhal Sario, Massod Lohar, Sindhoo Nawaz Ghanghro, Allah Bux Kumbhar, and Nazeer Quraishi addressed the media, demanding a judicial investigation into Dr. Kumbhar's extra-judicial killing, citing a lack of trust in the police-led inquiry.
They claimed that Dr. Kumbhar, who had reportedly been facing mental health issues, was killed in a staged encounter by police teams from Mirpurkhas near Sindhri town. Concerns were raised about the involvement of Umerkot police officials, who allegedly handed Dr. Kumbhar over to the CIA police in Mirpurkhas after arresting him in Karachi.
The participants expressed outrage over the police's failure to safeguard Dr. Kumbhar's body from a mob that, after seizing the bullet-riddled corpse from relatives, set it ablaze at a remote location near Nasisar town in Umerkot district.
They demanded the registration of FIRs against ten suspended police officials, including the DIG of Mirpurkhas and the SSP in charge of CIA police, accusing them of orchestrating the fake encounter. “Those who are glamorizing this horrific police action should also be held accountable for Dr. Kumbhar's murder and should face rigorous questioning,” they asserted.
It is important to note that Dr. Kumbhar had been named in an FIR registered at the Umerkot police station for allegedly posting blasphemous content on his Facebook account multiple times. His posts had sparked unrest and anger among the public, prompting demonstrations in various towns of Umerkot district and leading police officials to file charges against him under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.