Family of Blasphemy Accused Doctor Alleges Staged Encounter and Mob Attack in Pakistan

The family of Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar, accused of blasphemy and reportedly killed in a staged encounter, has identified individuals involved in burning his body. An FIR has been filed accusing 19 named and 15 unidentified persons, sparking condemnation from human rights activists and societal groups.

The family of Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar, accused of blasphemy and allegedly killed in a staged encounter by the Mirpurkhas police on September 18, has identified private individuals involved in the case. According to the Express Tribune, an FIR has been filed at the Taluka police station in Umerkot district based on a complaint from Muhammad Ibrahim Kumbhar, the brother-in-law of the deceased.

Ibrahim claimed that Kumbhar was arrested by Sindhri police in Lyari, Karachi, in front of his family and later killed in what they described as a staged encounter. He stated that when the family attempted to transport his body back to their village, Janhiaro, an angry mob surrounded the ambulance. He mentioned that a local prayer leader, Moulvi Ahmed Shahani, incited the crowd to burn the body. "We had to turn around the ambulance, and when it reached Kunri road, we moved the body to my car," he added.

The complainant further revealed that they took the body to their agricultural field but were pursued by the mob on motorbikes. "At around 10 am on September 19, the crowd snatched the dead body from us and set it on fire by placing dry grass over it," Ibrahim recounted. He accused Shahani and other named individuals in the FIR. The horrific incident has drawn severe criticism from various societal groups and human rights activists, who are demanding action against the police involved in the encounter.

(With inputs from agencies.)