Justice Sought for Shah Nawaz Kunbhar: Umerkot Sit-In Demands Police Accountability

Protests surge in Pakistan's Sindh province over the custodial killing of Shah Nawaz Kunbhar. The Sindh Youth Action Committee, with Kunbhar's family, demands justice and accountability from senior police officials and highlights issues of religious extremism and state oppression in the region.

Outrage is growing in Pakistan's Sindh province as the Sindh Youth Action Committee announced a sit-in in Umerkot on Wednesday. They demand justice for Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, a blasphemy suspect allegedly killed by police in an encounter, according to Dawn. The committee and Kunbhar's family are calling for action against police officers accused of being directly involved in his custodial death and the subsequent burning of his body by extremists.

During a press conference in Hyderabad, committee members Sindhu Nawaz Ghangro, Hamz Ali Chandio, Shahid Mirani, and others claimed senior police officials—DIG Mirpurkhas and SSPs of Mirpurkhas and Umerkot—were responsible for Kunbhar's killing. The group demanded an impartial investigation and the immediate arrest of these officers. They also highlighted the increasing influence of extremist elements in Sindh, which they said threatened the region's historically peaceful nature, as reported by Dawn.

Civil society members have expressed support for the sit-in, criticizing the government's failure to address the custodial killing. Kunbhar's family has shared video evidence suggesting police coercion and allege authorities were forcing them to make false statements. Despite multiple appeals, an FIR against the responsible officers has yet to be registered, according to Dawn. The case underscores deep-seated issues of religious extremism and police impunity in Pakistan. The youth committee criticized the involvement of religious extremists in police operations, stating that if the blasphemy charge against Kunbhar was valid, he should have been tried in court rather than handed over to a mob.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also called for protection for Kunbhar's family and a judicial inquiry led by the Sindh High Court. The case has drawn significant attention, exposing the dangerous blend of religious extremism and state oppression that continues to plague Pakistan's justice system.

(With inputs from agencies.)