Those who caused this gruesome injustice are called to find the truth. In Pakistan, truth often dies at the hands of biased committees, which fail to uncover the full reality or instead present half-truths that only serve to strengthen lies.
Sindh government has formed a committee to investigate the killing of Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbhar, whose life was tragically ended under the guise of blasphemy on September 19 of this year. There was no thorough investigation, no trial, and instead, a fake encounter orchestrated by Mirpurkhas police delivered the final verdict in Dr. Shahnawaz’s case. The accused was charged with posting blasphemous content on Facebook on 17 September, but denied all allegations, urging that a fair investigation be conducted. He and his family fully cooperated with the police.
However, in Umarkot, where the allegations originated, the city was engulfed in chaos, while all rational voices, including political parties and the Sindh government, remained silent. This silence only contributed to the escalating unrest.
In the end, the police became complicit with the religious groups. The very police that should have protected the accused ended up killing him. In 2024, seven extrajudicial killings related to blasphemy cases have been reported in Pakistan, with the majority occurring in Punjab. Furthermore, there has been an increase in blasphemy cases overall.
Nevertheless, it was the citizens of Sindh who came forward and dared to condemn the killing of Dr. Shahnawaz. At the same time, political parties and the government struggled to find appropriate words for condemnation. In response to criticism, the Sindh government formed the committee and promised to bring the truth to light. However, questions and doubts loom over the committee’s formation, especially since it is led by police officers, raising concerns about their ability to deliver justice.
The police initially refused to acknowledge their involvement and constructed a narrative around the killing of the accused. Later, Sardar Shah, the minister of the Sindh education department minister, revealed on the floor of the Sindh Assembly that Dr. Shahnawaz had been arrested by Umarkot police and then handed over to Mirpurkhas police.
Now the fundamental question is: will the same police department be able to deliver justice when its own officers are implicated in the killing? Although those involved have been suspended, this does not guarantee fairness in the investigation process.
We do not know whether the truth will be revealed or the police will cover it up with another narrative. People have valid reasons for their doubts, especially considering that a member of the Sindh government’s own political party, Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jilani, garlanded police officers involved in the extrajudicial killing of Dr. Shahnawaz. Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party has yet to take action regarding this act, raising questions about how its government’s police department can report the facts honestly.
Therefore, it is crucial to form a judicial commission to ensure fairness; otherwise, we are unlikely to see justice. In Pakistan, anyone can be accused of blasphemy, and the accused are often killed, as those who make the accusations know their actions will be glorified, and the state will not seek the truth. If the state really wants to prevent the misuse of Section 295C of the Blasphemy law, it must allow investigations to be conducted fairly and honestly.
The victim’s family is grieving and in shock—no one can bring back their family member, Dr. Shahnawaz, not even a committee. Strangely, the Sindh government has not announced any financial support for the grieving family.
The government has the responsibility to heal wounds. Only justice can provide that healing; otherwise, the wounds will remain unhealed, and the cycle of extrajudicial killings will continue.
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