HYDERABAD: Speakers at a consultative programme on Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s killing have expressed fear that the government wants to spoil this case and save culprits, which is evident from the fact that police have not arrested the killers and facilitators so far.

The consultation was held at the local press club on Tuesday by “Justice For Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar Committee” and chaired by Ismail Wassan, a former student leader.

They said that all forms of extremism would be resisted in Sindh which was the land of peace for centuries.

Ismail Wassan said Sindh’s civil society had been struggling against that murder from day one. He expressed the resolve that fanatics and extremists would not be allowed to occupy Sindh.

He added that the forum was created to pursue the case in order to ensure punishment to the killers of Dr Shahnawaz, including police officers, extremists and fanatics and their facilitators.

Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Riaz) chairman Riaz Ali Chandio said Sindh would not give up its secular and mystic ethos. He said people wanted to know why those, who had killed Shahnawaz and burnt his body, were still free. He said that on one hand certain forces were promoting extremism while on the other, they were planning to render Sindh barren by building new canals over Indus river. He vowed to resist canals’ projects.

JSQM-Bashir leader Dr Niaz Kalani said the PPP government was partner in crime with extremist forces ever since the murder of Shahnawaz. He said that those who had launched movement against the killing were intimidated and arrested instead. He said they were booked under false charges.

Prof Mushtaq Mirani said Sindh didn’t have any place for extremism and fanaticism. He said the Sindh government was directly responsible for the murder of Shahnawaz because had government taken timely notice, he would not have killed. The Sindh government did not stop extremists after the murder and Shahnawaz’s body was burnt, he added.

Imdad Chandio, Mir Mangrio advocate, Dr Badar Channa and others also spoke.

Resolutions were also adopted at the consultation, demanding formation of a judicial commission, comprising three serving judges of the high court, to probe the incident. It should submit report in a month and recommend punishment for the extr­ajudicial murder, the meeting said.

It demanded arrests of those nominated in Dr Shahnawaz’s FIR and urged PPP chairman Bilawal to unseat party’s MNA Ameer Ali Shah who garlanded the accused policemen after the murder.

It condemned the arrest of Riaz Chandio and Dr Niaz Kalani between the night of Oct 12 and 13 and the use of violence against the participants of Rawadari March in Karachi on Oct 13.

It demanded the suspension of the provincial home minister and Sindh IGP for registration of FIR against Sindhu Nawaz Ghangro, Saif Samejo and others on Oct 13 for holding a rally in Karachi. A resolution said the FIR registered against them should be withdrawn.

The meeting also condemned construction of six canals over Indus river, saying that the existing link canals over Indus should be closed.

It demanded an end to encroachment over millions of acres of land and stoppage of the allotment of Sindh’s lands under Green Initiative.

Published in Dawn, October 23th, 2024