Pakistan: Autopsy reveals torture marks on body of doctor arrested in blasphemy case; family demands investigation

Umerkot [Pakistan], October 20 : An autopsy report has revealed that Shahnawaz Kunbhar, the doctor who was arrested in a blasphemy case and later killed in a "staged encounter" in Mirpurkhas, showed signs of "severe torture" prior to his death, Dawn reported.
The findings, following the exhumation of Kunbhar's body on October 16 under the supervision of a medical board, have sparked demands for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The preliminary post-mortem report noted multiple injuries, including fractured bones.
"The members of the Special Medical Board unanimously agree that the gunshot wounds to the deceased's chest are sufficient to be the cause of death in a typical scenario," the report stated.
The fractures of Kunbhar's lower ribs were attributed to blunt force trauma, according to the report, which was signed by doctors Wasim Khan, Tahir Qureshi, Prof Wahid Nahyoon, Abdul Samad Memon, and pathologist Rahil Khan.
Based on physical examination and X-ray results, the report disclosed that four of Kunbhar's ribs were broken.
Kunbhar's family has accused the District Headquarters Hospital in Mirpurkhas, where the initial post-mortem was conducted, of concealing evidence of torture, reported Dawn.
They have called for an investigation against the doctors responsible for the first autopsy, demanding that they be interrogated under Section 201 of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly covering up the true cause of death.
"Who pressurised them to cover this up? The truth must come out. 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," said the complainant, Ibrahim Kunbhar.
The family also alleged that the accused was tortured at the residence of a prominent religious figure before his death and that his body had been burned in an attempt to destroy evidence, Dawn reported.
An investigative report issued by the Sindh Human Rights Commission highlighted a pattern of legal violations, administrative failures, and negligence by law enforcement in the extrajudicial killing of Kunbhar.
The report noted substantial shortcomings in the protection of the victim's rights and a lack of decisive action against those responsible for his death.
Notably, blasphemy remains a significant issue in Pakistan, particularly for ethnic minorities, as laws are frequently exploited by authorities and extremist groups, leading to violence and, often, death.