FIA files new FIR of Shahnawaz Kumbhar murder case

MIRPUR KHAS: The FIA has filed a new FIR of the extra-judicial killing of Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar on the orders of the Sindh High Court (SHC).

A copy of the FIR has also been submitted in the anti-terrorism court Mirpur Khas.

Former DIG Police Mirpur Khas, Javed Soonharo Jiskani, former SSPs Asad Chaudhry and Asif Raza Baloch, former in-charge CIA Enayat Zardari, former SHO Niaz Khoso and Pir Umar Jan Sarhandi have been included among 46 accused of the case.

The accused have been booked under the extra-judicial killing charges of Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar.

A medical board headed by the chief police surgeon had completed exhumation of Shahnawaz Kumbhar’s body.

Chief police surgeon Dr Wasim after autopsy said, “The body samples will be sent for laboratory test, and report will be handed over to concerned authorities within one month.”

Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar, a senior medical officer accused of blasphemy, was allegedly killed in a staged police encounter in Mirpur Khas on September 19, after his arrest by Umerkot police on September 18, 2024, from Karachi.

Following the direction of Sindh Police chief, Ghulam Nabi Memon, an enquiry committee had completed the investigation of Umerkot incident and exposed the misconduct of police.

The inquiry report, issued after intense public pressure, revealed severe violations of law by police officials from Umerkot and Mirpur Khas.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered authorities to place the names of all accused on Exit Control List (ECL) in blasphemy accused, Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar’s death who was killed in a suspected fake police encounter in Umarkot.

Earlier, a case was registered against 45 individuals including the high-ranking police officials.

The inquiry committee, tasked with investigating the incident, confirmed that the police encounter was fabricated to give legal cover to an extrajudicial killing.