The city, which witnessed the alleged custodial killing of a blasphemy accused doctor and subsequent desecration of his body by a mob last year, is now coping with an intra-sectarian strife with multiple blasphemy FIRs already lodged at various police stations.
The perilous scenario is unfolding in Umerkot district where religious and politico-religious parties have been protesting for days to pressurise the police to take action.
The protesters, who staged a sit-in at American Chowk, demanded action against a man blamed for posting sacrilegious content on social media. The district's SSP Uzair Ahmed Memon held talks with the protesters which remain inconclusive. The police said they needed time to investigate the contentious issue before making a leap.
Although at least four FIRs have been registered, the police have apparently evaded making arrests.
On Wednesday the SSP convened a meeting at his office with representatives of several religious and politico-religious parties and discussed the ongoing situation and came up with a set of recommendations which barred all sectarian groups from showing disrespect against beliefs of each other or making critical expressions.
It was also suggested that if an individual unilaterally offends the beliefs of other groups, no sectarian group will come to their support.
About the objectionable content, posted on social media, the SSP said the people offended by such posts should neither resort to blocking roads or highways in protest nor should they try to register FIRs.
He added that the appropriate platform for registering such complaints is the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Meanwhile, the Sindh Human Rights Commission Chairman Iqbal Ahmed Detho wrote a letter to SSP Umerkot, asking him to immediately activate district peace and interfaith harmony committees for prevention and early resolution of hostilities.
"In view of the recurring nature of such incidents (in Umerkot) the commission once again underscores the need for pre-emptive and community-based interventions to avert escalation." He underlined that the blasphemy laws should not be misused to target individuals.
It may be recalled that the blasphemy accused Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar, who belonged to the same district, was shot dead in a staged police encounter on September 19, 2024, in Mirpurkhas after he surrendered to the police in Karachi. He was also nominated in a blasphemy FIR in Umerkot. The mob later snatched his dead body from an ambulance in a village in Umerkot and set it on fire.
The subsequent investigation led to the removal of DIG Mirpurkhas Javed Sonharo Jiskani, SSP Mirpurkhas Muhammad Asad Chaudhry, SSP Umerkot Asif Raza Baloch and other cops. They all, including a local religious figure who was accused of inciting the mob, were also booked in an FIR registered on the complaint of Dr Kumbhar's brother-in-law.
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