Body formed to probe ‘facts’ about killing of blasphemy suspect doctor in Mirpurkhas

The killing of a Mirpurkhas doctor a day after he was booked on allegations of blasphemy prompted Sindh police on Friday to form a committee to ascertain “facts” about the incident.

The suspect was shot dead by Sindhri police on Thursday during an “encounter” in Mirpurkhas, a day after he was booked by Umerkot police under Section 295-C (use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet) of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly posting “blasphemous content” on Facebook followed by protests from religious parties.

Sindhri Police Station House Officer (SHO) Niaz Khoso confirmed the killing of the suspect, saying that he, along with an “accomplice” opened fire at the police. In retaliatory action, the suspect was shot dead whereas his alleged accomplice managed to escape, he claimed.

After the “encounter”, the body was handed over to the family, who brought it to Janhero — the native village of the suspect — for burial. However, they had to escape after a mob descended on them to snatch the body.

The family fled to Nabisar Thar, where they were pursued by zealots who did not let them bury the slain suspect. However, upon returning to Janhero with the body hidden in a car, a mob managed to snatch the corpse and set it on fire.

Earlier in the week, the doctor issued a video statement on his social media, saying that his account had been hacked and he could not even “imagine sharing blasphemous content”.

According to the medical superintendent of the Umerkot District Headquarters Hospital, the doctor was a dedicated medical practitioner, who had “gone missing” on September 12, which could be due to a “psychotic episode”.

On Friday, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IG) Ghulam Nabi Memon told Dawn.com he had formed a committee, comprising senior police officers, to ascertain “facts” about the killing.

According to an official order issued by the Sindh IG, the committee has been constituted to probe two cases (FIR No. 47/2024 and 48/2024) registered at Sindhri police station on September 19.

The inquiry committee, led by Shaheed Benazirabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Pervaiz Chandio and comprising Hyderabad DIG Tariq Razzak Dharejo and Badin Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sheeraz Nazeer, has been directed to complete the inquiry within seven days and submit the report.

Additionally, the Sindh IG transferred the Mirpurkhas SSP, ordering him to report to the Sindh Central Police Office in Karachi. According to an official notification seen by Dawn.com, the Tharparkar SSP will perform duties in Mirpurkhas “with immediate effect and until further orders”.

‘Alarming situation’

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar announced the removal of top police officials of Mirpurkhas division and added that the committee would ascertain whether the doctor was killed “extra-judicially”.

In a statement on Friday, the home minister said that an “alarming situation was created during the last 48 hours”, mentioning riots breaking out in Umerkot and the torching of a police vehicle. The minister said that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had even allowed his biggest enemy “to rectify mistakes”.

“If there is any issue, it should be resolved,” he said. “It is my duty to take action if there is any illegal work in my department,” he said, adding that the committee had been formed to probe the incident.

“I am suspending DIG Mirpurkhas, SSP Mirpurkhas, the Crime Investigation Agency team and the SHO,” Lanjar said.

Blasphemy cases in country

It emerged on Wednesday that the family members of a blasphemy suspect forgave the Quetta police official who allegedly killed him last week while he was in police custody

The family strongly condemned the slain suspect for the alleged blasphemy saying, “We never hesitate to render our lives in the honour of the Holy Prophet.

“We have pardoned the police official Saad Muhammad Sarhadi in the name of Allah and unconditionally,” the family members said, adding that they would not fight the case against the police official in a court of law.

JUI-P Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan, in a Senate meeting last week, had expressed solidarity with the police official, saying that he would bear all his legal expenses.

In May, police rescued a Christian man from enraged mobsters who wanted to lynch him, and attacked the homes of some other members of the minority community in Sargodha on allegations of desecration of the Holy Quran.

Following the incident, 26 people were arrested, and over 400 were booked for mob violence. The case was registered on behalf of the state under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

However, the police also registered a blasphemy case against the Christian man, a resident of Mujahid Colony. He succumbed to his injuries after fighting for his life at a hospital for eight days.

In June, a mob brutally lynched a man — who had been detained for the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran — inside the Madyan police station in Swat.

The mob then set fire to the suspect’s body, the police station, and a police vehicle.

Swat District Police Officer Dr Zahidullah had said that eight people were also injured in the incident.