A doctor accused of blasphemy was allegedly killed by police while in custody in southern Pakistan, his family claimed Monday. Dr. Shah Nawaz, from Sindh province, surrendered after authorities assured him he could prove his innocence. Police, however, stated he was unintentionally killed during a shootout in Mirpur Khas. This incident marks the second alleged extrajudicial killing within a week, raising human rights concerns.
Nawaz had been accused of sharing blasphemous content on Facebook, which he denied, claiming his account was hacked. His family asserted he was killed in a staged encounter shortly after his arrest last Wednesday. Following his death, a mob burned his clinic and later his body. "I did not know that police would kill him," said his mother, Rehmat Kunbhar.
Nine people involved in the mob violence have been arrested, with police seeking more than 100 others. Policemen responsible for the shooting have been suspended. Human rights groups and civil society members have expressed solidarity with Nawaz's family, decrying the violence and extrajudicial actions. Accusations of blasphemy, often leading to mob brutality, remain a highly charged issue in Pakistan. Last week, another man accused of blasphemy, Syed Khan, was similarly killed by a police officer in Quetta. Under Pakistani law, blasphemy can result in a death sentence, yet no execution has been carried out for such cases. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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