Tensions escalated outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) as police clashed with demonstrators protesting against the killing of Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbhar and the perceived increase in extremism in Sindh.
Dr. Shahnawaz, accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media, was killed in a controversial police encounter on September 19 in Mirpurkhas, which Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar later described as a “staged encounter.”
The protest, named the “Sindh Rawadari March,” drew participants from diverse sectors, including human rights groups, trade unions, and feminist organizations, all united in their condemnation of Dr. Shahnawaz’s extrajudicial killing. However, their assembly was deemed a violation of Section 144, a law that prohibits gatherings of four or more people, aimed at preventing riots and maintaining public order.
During the protest, police were filmed conducting baton charges against the demonstrators, actions that did not spare even women, as shown in social media and TV coverage. In a parallel development, members of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) initiated a counter-protest. Although police halted their progress at Teen Talwar and near Capri cinema, confrontations ensued, resulting in clashes with police and Rangers.
Authorities responded by sealing off routes to the KPC, using containers and buses to block access, even preventing journalists and camera crews from entering the area. Despite these measures, the situation escalated, leading to the death of a protester and injuries to several others during a clash near Metropole as TLP supporters attempted to reach the KPC.
Karachi South Deputy Commissioner Altaf Sario justified the enforcement of Section 144, citing the potential for violence and the presence of foreign dignitaries in Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, which could be negatively impacted by the unrest.
Amidst the turmoil, rights groups have voiced their condemnation of the police’s handling of the protests, particularly the use of force against peaceful demonstrators. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) have both called for the immediate release of detained protesters and for the right to peaceful assembly to be respected.
The incident has sparked a broader debate about the balance between maintaining public order and respecting human rights, highlighting the delicate nature of handling protests in volatile situations.
