Umerkot [Pakistan], January 7 : The family of Shahnawaz Kunbhar, who died in police custody on September 19 last year, called for a transparent judicial inquiry into his death on Tuesday, following violent reactions from various religious groups and the burning of his body by enraged extremists. This request was made during a visit on Monday by a delegation of activists from various civil society organizations to the family's home in Janhero village, Umerkot district, as reported by Dawn.
The delegation, led by leaders from the Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), included Ejaz Turk, Tahira Abdullah, Jami Chandio, Amar Sindhu, and other civil society activists. Speaking on behalf of his family, Ibrahim Kunbhar expressed a lack of confidence in the current police investigation. He emphasized that the inquiry should be conducted under the supervision of a sitting judge from the Sindh High Court.
He also claimed that the CCTV footage of Kunbhar's arrest in Karachi, as well as other related events in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, and other locations, had been destroyed.
He suggested this was done to protect the police officers and others involved from facing accountability. It is important to note that the Sindh government had suggested a judicial inquiry by the SHC on October 16 last year, but no progress has been made since then.
Shahnawaz Kunbhar was allegedly accused of sharing blasphemous posts on social media, which led to his death in a gun battle with the police in Mirpurkhas city, Sindh, on September 19. After the 'encounter,' the police handed over his body to the family, who then brought it to their native village of Janhero for burial. However, a mob attacked them and set the body on fire.
On September 26, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar presented the findings of an inquiry into the killing, which concluded that the police had "staged the encounter." Following this, several religious leaders across Pakistan demanded that the government conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the blasphemy incident and its aftermath.
The incident has sent shockwaves across Pakistan, with protests and demonstrations continuing in the country, demanding justice for Kunbhar.
Blasphemy remains a major concern for ethnic minorities in Pakistan, as laws related to it are often manipulated by authorities and staunch Islamic radicals, resulting in brutality, extreme violence, and, in many cases, death against individuals belonging to ethnic minorities.
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