Dr Shah Nawaz was killed in fake encounter: Sindh minister

Karachi: Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Linjar confirmed on Thursday that Dr. Shah Nawaz, a doctor from Umerkot, was killed in a staged police encounter.

During a press conference in Karachi, Linjar disclosed that an investigation, supported by CCTV footage, revealed that the encounter was fabricated. The officials involved have been suspended.

The inquiry was launched after allegations of an extrajudicial killing in Umerkot, where police had claimed Dr. Shah Nawaz was involved in a gunfight. However, the investigation committee, formed under Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s orders, determined the encounter was staged. The minister added that the Mirpurkhas police and CIA Mirpurkhas were responsible for the incident.

“Once the encounter was confirmed to be staged, the responsible officers were immediately suspended,” Linjar said. “The family of Dr. Shah Nawaz has the option to file an FIR, but if they don’t, the state will proceed with the case.”

Linjar also confirmed that six FIRs related to the case will be thoroughly reviewed by the newly appointed DIG of Mirpurkhas, who will lead the inquiry.

The case escalated last week when Dr. Shah Nawaz was accused of posting blasphemous content on Facebook, sparking protests by religious groups in Umerkot. He was charged under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Initial reports claimed he had fled to Karachi but was later arrested by Umerkot police and transferred to Mirpurkhas. However, police denied arresting him in Karachi, stating that Dr. Shah Nawaz and his accomplices opened fire on officers, resulting in a retaliatory shootout that killed him.

Sindhiri SHO Niaz Khoso earlier claimed that Dr. Shah Nawaz’s accomplice escaped during the encounter.

A day before his death, Dr. Shah Nawaz posted a video online, claiming his account had been hacked and that he would never share offensive content. His family and supporters believe he was a victim of an extrajudicial killing.

Dr. Shah Nawaz, who had been missing since September 12, was known as a dedicated doctor, according to the Medical Superintendent of Umerkot District Headquarters Hospital. He had struggled with mental health issues, which may have led to his disappearance.

On September 19, after protests by religious groups over the alleged blasphemous content, a large crowd gathered outside the Umerkot Press Club, demanding the doctor’s arrest. Protesters torched a police vehicle in their outrage.

Following the encounter, Dr. Shah Nawaz’s body was handed over to his family. However, as they attempted to take his body to their village in Janhiro, an angry mob gathered and tried to seize it. The family fled, and the mob burned the doctor's body.