Supreme Court stays Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar custodial killing trial

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has stayed the trial regarding the alleged custodial killing and body desecration of Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar. The stay comes just days before the proceedings were scheduled to begin at the Mirpurkhas district and sessions court.

The decision follows a petition by Dr. Ibrahim Kumbhar, the complainant, who is challenging a Sindh High Court order that transferred the case from the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) to the sessions court. The petitioner argues for the restoration of the ATC's jurisdiction.

Legal counsel for the complainant raised concerns regarding the role of the Sindh deputy prosecutor general, alleging that the official filed an application to transfer the case on behalf of the accused police officers rather than prosecuting them. The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Prosecutor General of Sindh, the Advocate General of Sindh, and the Attorney General for Pakistan, with a three-member bench set to hear the matter on October 13.

Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar was reportedly shot dead on September 19, 2024, following what the complainant describes as a staged police encounter after he had surrendered to police in connection with a blasphemy FIR.