Karachi, Pakistan — Police in southern Pakistan shot dead a blasphemy suspect during an alleged shootout with armed men, officials said Thursday, the second such apparent extra-judicial killing in a week, drawing condemnation from human rights groups. Videos circulating on social media showed local clerics throwing rose petals at police and praising officers for killing the blasphemy suspect. There was no immediate clarification from the Sindh government about the circumstances in which the suspect was killed. The latest killing comes a week after an officer opened fire inside a police station in the southwestern city of Quetta, fatally wounding Syed Khan, another suspect held on accusations of blasphemy. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks on blasphemy suspects in recent years.

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Persons: Shah Nawaz, Mohammed, Niaz Khoso, Nawaz, “, Khoso, ”, HRCP, Syed Khan, Khan, Mohammad Khurram, —, Islam Organizations: Pakistan — Police, Police, Local, Human Rights Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Umerkot district, Sindh province, Mirpur Khas, Sindh, Umerkot, Quetta, Madyan, Punjab, Jaranwala