Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday announced that an investigation committee had found that Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbhar, a blasphemy suspect killed by police in Umerkot, was the victim of a “staged” encounter and vowed stern action against all those responsible.
Following complaints over allegedly blasphemous posts on social media, police in Umerkot had booked Kunbhar under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. He was subsequently taken into “protective custody” on Sept. 18 before being transferred to Mirpurkhas. Just one day later, he was shot dead by Sindhri police in what they described as an “encounter.”
After Kunbhar was killed, his body was returned to his relatives but before they could recover him, a mob torched it. The incident has triggered protests and condemnations, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah taking notice of the incident and ordering the suspension of the Mirpurkhas DIG, SSP and other police officers.
Unveiling the 31-page inquiry report, Lanjar said it had declared the police encounter as fake. He said the investigation team had reviewed CCTV footages and call data records, adding the government was registering cases against the police officers involved. “At least six cases have been registered so far,” he said, vowing that none of the culprits would be spared.
“We have also briefed his [Kunbhar’s] family members on the inquiry being launched into the incident,” he said and urged them to register their own case against the police. “If they refuse to file a FIR, then the state will do so of its own accord,” he added.
To a question, he clarified that there had no determination of whether Kunbhar had committed any blasphemy. The inquiry report, he said, had only examined the encounter itself. He said the Sindh chief minister would soon announce compensation for the victim’s family.