Family of blasphemy accused files FIR against burning of body

The family of blasphemy accused Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar, who was allegedly killed in a staged encounter by Mirpurkhas police on September 18, has nominated private individuals in the case of burning of his body.

The FIR was lodged at taluka police station in Umerkot district on the complaint of Muhammad Ibrahim Kumbhar, the brother-in-law of the slain blasphemy accused.

The complainant stated that Dr Kumbhar was arrested by Sindhri police from Lyari, Karachi, in presence of his family members after which he was killed in what they said was a fake encounter. According to Ibrahim, they brought his body to village Janhiaro for the burial but a mob of many dozen people surrounded the ambulance which was carrying his body.

He blamed a local prayer leader, Moulvi Ahmed Shahani, for provoking the crowd to burn the body. "We later turned around the ambulance and when it reached Kunri road we shifted the body to my car."

The complainant further stated that they later carried the body to their agricultural field. However, they were chased by the mob on motorbikes. "At around 10am on September 19, the crowd snatched the dead body from us and set it ablaze by placing dry grass over it."

He accused Shahani, Mehboob Saandh, Amjad Panhwar, Shamshad Panhwar, Noor Hassan Panhwar, Ghulam Mujtaba Panhwar, Daud Panhwar, Lakhmir Samjeo, Arshad Samejo, Meeru Samejo, Aleem Samejo, Mashooq Khaskheli and Faqeero Palijo, among others in the FIR.

As many as 19 people have been nominated with names under sections 341, 269, 297, 114, 336b, 147, 148 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code in addition to 15 unknown persons.

The gruesome incident of killing a doctor and later burning his body has drawn a critical reaction from many segments of the society and from the human rights activists who are also demanding action against the cops involved in the staged encounter.