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       UMERKOT: The body of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, who was arrested in a blasphemy case and killed in a staged encounter in Mirpurkhas, bore marks of brutal torture, an autopsy report said.

       On Oct 16, Dr Kunbhar’s body was exhumed under the supervision of a medical board and the initial post-mortem report has revealed multiple injuries, including broken bones.

       According to the provisional report: “Members of Special Medical Board are of unanimous opinion that firearm injuries on chest of deceased are sufficient to cause of death in ordinary course of nature.

       “Fracture of lower four ribs are suggestive of application of blunt force to back of chest of deceased Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar,” said the report signed by Dr Wasim Khan, Dr Tahir Qureshi, Prof Dr Wahid Nahyoon Dr Abdul Samad Memon and pathologist Dr Rahil Khan.

       Family suspects he was tortured to death and body was set on fire to conceal evidence; demands investigation against doctors who conducted first post-mortem

       The findings were based on physical examination and X-ray results, which disclosed that four of Dr Kunbhar’s ribs were broken.

       Dr Kunbhar’s family has called for a thorough investigation against the doctors who conducted the first post-mortem examination at District Headquarters Hospital Mirpurkhas.

       They accused the hospital of covering up the torture evidence and demanded that the doctors be interrogated under Section 201 of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly concealing evidence.

       “Who pressurised them to cover this up? The truth must come out,” said complainant Ibrahim Kunbhar. “Now, his first autopsy report can’t be trusted, in which the cause of death was written as a bullet. He might have been killed by torture,” he added.

       The family claimed that Dr Kunbhar was allegedly tortured at the residence of a prominent religious figure before being killed, and his body was later set on fire to destroy the evidence.

       Thakur Nazeer of the Sindh Human Rights Commission said that the exhumation was carried out to ascertain the allegations of torture.

       Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024