Sindh Home Ministere Zia-ul-Hasan Linjar confirmed on Thursday that Dr Shah Nawaz - a doctor from Umerkot - was killed in a staged police encounter.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, the provincial minister revealed that an investigation, aided by CCTV footage, had concluded that the encounter was fake. The officials involved in the incident have since been suspended.
The inquiry was initiated following allegations of extrajudicial killing in Umerkot, where police claimed that Dr Shah Nawaz had been involved in a violent exchange of fire.
However, the inquiry committee - formed under the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah - found that the encounter was fabricated. The minister further stated that the Mirpurkhas police, along with the CIA Mirpurkhas, were responsible for the incident.
"Upon confirmation that the encounter was staged, the responsible officials were immediately suspended," said Linjar. "The family of Dr Shah Nawaz is free to file a First Information Report (FIR) against those involved, but if they do not, the state will proceed with registering a case."
He also confirmed that six FIRs related to the case will be thoroughly investigated by the newly appointed DIG of Mirpurkhas, who will chair the inquiry committee.
The case took a dramatic turn last week when Dr Shah Nawaz was accused of posting blasphemous content on Facebook, triggering protests by religious groups in Umerkot. He was charged under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
According to initial reports, he had fled to Karachi but was later arrested by Umerkot police and transferred to Mirpurkhas.
The police, however, denied arresting him in Karachi and claimed that Dr Shah Nawaz and his accomplices had opened fire on law enforcement officers, leading to a retaliatory shootout in which the doctor was killed.
Sindhiri SHO Niaz Khoso had earlier stated that Dr Shah Nawaz's accomplice managed to escape during the encounter.
However, a day before his death, Dr Shah Nawaz released a video on social media claiming his account had been hacked and that he would never post offensive content. His family and supporters believe that he was a victim of extrajudicial killing.
Dr Shah Nawaz, who had been missing since September 12, was a dedicated doctor, according to the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Umerkot District Headquarters Hospital. He had been struggling with mental health issues, which could have been the reason behind his disappearance.
On September 19, following protests by religious groups over the alleged blasphemous material, a large crowd gathered outside the Umerkot Press Club, demanding the doctor’s arrest. Protesters set a police mobile ablaze in a show of anger.
After the encounter, Dr Shah Nawaz’s body was handed over to his family for burial. However, as they attempted to take the body to their native village in Janhiro, an enraged mob gathered and tried to seize the corpse. The family was forced to flee, leaving the mob to set the doctor's body on fire.
