Shahnawaz Kumbhar

Shahnawaz Kumbhar (Sindhi: شاهنواز ڪنڀر) was a local hospital doctor in Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan, who was killed in a fake encounter by the Sindh Police on 17 September 2024. He was accused by a local mosque cleric of using blasphemous language against the Prophet Muhammad on social media. After a case was registered by the police based on a complaint from local mosque cleric Sabir Soomro under Article 295C, Shahnawaz was dismissed from his job at the civil hospital in Umerkot.

During the night of 18–19 September, reports emerged that Shahnawaz had been killed in a police encounter. His relatives, who initially believed he was safe after being surrendered that night, were shocked to learn the next morning that he had been killed. The killing was supported by religious groups, but faced massive backlash from civil society and led to huge protests across Sindh.

Victim

Shahnawaz Kumbhar was a doctor at the local civil hospital in Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan. According to Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the Sindh Government's Minister of Education, in a speech delivered in the Sindh Assembly, Shahnawaz Kumbhar was an FCPS doctor and had ranked among the top 10 students in his batch. He also regularly organised free medical camps in Umerkot and its surrounding villages to provide healthcare services.

Incident

Background

This incident occurred on 17 September 2024, during the Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, when a gathering turned violent. A mob stormed a police station, demanding an FIR be filed against Shahnawaz Kumbhar for alleged blasphemous social media posts. Initially, the SHO refused to register the case, but the situation quickly escalated. To control the chaos, the rioters attacked the Umerkot police station, setting fire to a police mobile van. Eventually, a case of blasphemy was filed against Shahnawaz under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code The complaint was lodged by Sabir Soomro, the imam of a local mosque, accusing Shahnawaz of making offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad on social media.

After the FIR was registered, a gathering took place in front of the press club, including the mob, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan leader Pir Umer Jan Sarhandi and Asif Baloch, SSP Umerkot. During the gathering, SSP Asif Raza Baloch stated to mob that ''"the entire district police team was committed to tracking down the accused. the police is working diligently and is fully focused on the case to ensure the arrest of the suspect''."'''' Shahnawaz was suspended from his position. The accusations triggered a wave of severe backlash and hatred toward him on social media, accompanied by protests and violent incidents in Umerkot. Throughout the night, rioters continued their sit-ins, leaving the town in a state of tension. On the next day, 18 September 2024, the unrest in Umerkot intensified. The entire city was shut down as protesters burned tires on the streets and held demonstrations. The rioters also looted Shahnawaz's clinic, setting its contents on fire in the town's main square.

That same day, around noon, a video was uploaded to a Facebook account under the name "Ali Kanbhar." In the video, Shahnawaz clarified, "My old account was under the name Shahnawaz Shah, but it's very old, and I no longer use it." The video shows him in a hotel room. Additionally, multiple other posts from the same account showed Shahnawaz asserting that he is a devout Muslim and had no involvement with the offensive posts. He also mentioned that he had handed over his mobile phone to the police and FIA, which had been thoroughly examined as part of the investigation.

Alleged encounter killing

A blasphemy case was registered against Shahnawaz Kumbhar. on 17 September, but he was not arrested. However, during the night between 18 and 19 September, news emerged of his alleged death in a police encounter.

SHO Niaz Khoso stated that Shahnawaz was "accidentally killed" in the morning of 18 September. According to the police, officers had attempted to halt two men on a motorcycle in Mirpur Khas, Sindh. Rather than comply, the men fired shots and attempted to escape, prompting the police to fire back. One suspect fled on the motorcycle, while the other was shot and killed during the confrontation.

Prior to his death, on 17 and 18 September, violent protests were held in Umerkot by religious groups in response to the alleged blasphemy incident. A video made the rounds on social media showing someone at Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas giving props to the police. The person in the video praised DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Mirpurkhas, and the CIA police, declaring that Shahnawaz, who was accused of blasphemy, had been sent to "hell".

Criticism on the police arose following the murder of Kumbhar on the Al Khidmat Foundation, when DIG Javed Soonharo Jiskani, SSP Chaudhry Asad, and PPP MNA Pir Amir Bakhsh Jeelani were publicly honored with over 5 maunds of flowers in Umerkot. A red carpet was laid at the SSP office, where they were garlanded.

Religious groups lauded DIG Jiskani, calling him a '' ghazi'', a term used for a warrior fighting for the Muslim faith. While PPP MNA Pir Ameer Shah Jeelani expressed support for the killing of Kumbhar, Sindh's Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah condemned the act, stating that it was unacceptable to kill someone based on blasphemy allegations.

Shahnawaz's funeral

According to a close relative of Shahnawaz:

Shahnawaz's driver, Prem Kolhi, sought to recover the doctor's body from the mob and successfully arranged for its burial. During this incident, the mob also attempted to lynch Prem Kolhi.

Public reaction

On the first day following the incident, fear spread throughout Sindh, as blasphemy cases of such severity were rarely reported in the region, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, compared to other parts of Pakistan. This event marked the first extrajudicial killing in Sindh related to blasphemy accusations. The situation intensified on the second day when religious groups adorned police officers implicated in the case with garlands, leading to a significant public outcry. Protests were organized by various nationalist parties, civil society

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