Supreme Court puts brakes on Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar custodial killing trial days before hearing

The petitioner has sought restoration of the ATC’s jurisdiction, challenging the SHC’s April 7 order directing the transfer of the case to the sessions court.The sessions court was scheduled to commence the trial on September 29.

Advocate Sajjad Ahmed Chandio, representing the complainant, argued before the Supreme Court that the case should continue before the ATC and objected to the circumstances in which it was transferred.In a further twist, Chandio told the apex court that Sindh’s deputy prosecutor general, who was expected to prosecute the case against the accused police officers, had instead filed an application on behalf of a DIG and two SSPs accused in….

According to him, the matter was supposed to be handled by the federal law officer.

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Prosecutor General Sindh, Advocate General Sindh and Attorney General for Pakistan for October 13, fixing the matter before a three-member bench.Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar was shot dead in what the complainant describes as a staged police encounter on September 19, 2024, after he surrendered to Mirpurkhas police in Karachi in connection with a blasphemy FIR.

After his death, his body was allegedly set on fire by a mob while it was being transported to a graveyard in Umerkot district for burial.The first FIR was registered at Sindhri Police Station, Mirpurkhas, on September 27, 2024, under sections 201, 364, 302, 34, 147, 148, 149 and 120-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, and Sections 8 and 9 of….

The three police officers had approached the ATC Mirpurkhas seeking transfer of the case to the district court, arguing in effect that the terrorism provisions incorporated into the FIR should not apply.

The ATC rejected their plea on October 23, 2025.

They subsequently approached the SHC, but their two separate criminal revision applications were dismissed on December 12, 2025.However, a division bench of the SHC comprising Justice Miran Muhammad Shah and Justice Muhammad Hassan subsequently ordered the ATC on April 7, 2026, to transfer the case to the district and sessions court along with the complete record.The complainant has now challenged that transfer before the Supreme Court, seeking permission for the….

The apex court’s stay means the sessions court proceedings scheduled for September 29 can not proceed pending further orders in the matter.

Supreme Court puts brakes on Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar custodial killing trial days before hearing Updated 14 minutes ago.