Dr Shahnawaz Kanbar was killed in a shootout with police in Sindh province amidst allegations of blasphemy that prompted him to flee near Mirpurkhas, approximately 250 km northeast of Karachi.

Dr Nawz is the second blasphemy suspect in Pakistan to be shot dead in the space of a week. Police in southern Pakistan have shot dead a doctor accused of blasphemy, drawing condemnation from human rights groups.

Pakistani authorities have suspended policemen who opened fire and killed a blasphemy suspect earlier this week, only to be applauded and showered with rose petals by local residents after the killing.

The victim had posted a video of himself from a hotel claiming that his account had been hacked and he could not even imagine sharing blasphemous content.

A Pakistani Christian woman, mother of four children, was sentenced to death for blasphemy in Islamabad on Thursday. She was convicted of posting offensive content on the WhatsApp communication channel.