Judicial Commission begins 30-day countdown to find the truth behind Mir Raza’s death

KARACHI – The investigation into the mysterious death of young businessman Mir Raza witnessed a major development when the newly constituted judicial commission was given only 30 days to uncover the facts and submit its report.

The commission, headed by current Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Umar Syal, will look into the legal and constitutional aspects of the investigation and determine the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza’s death, with the main objective being transparency. But as the commission begins its work, Mir Raza’s family has challenged its formation before the SHC, warning that the move at this stage could adversely affect the criminal case.

The Sindh government approached the province’s Supreme Court to form a judicial commission to investigate the case. After the court’s decision to form the panel, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab urged the families to cooperate in the inquiry.

Wahab questioned the family’s objection to the commission headed by a serving SHC judge, saying “justice will ultimately be delivered by the court.” He urged for cooperation so that the case can move towards a conclusion.

Mir Raza, an IBA graduate and businessman, went missing on July 28, before his body was found the next day in Karachi’s Gulistan Johar. His father has consistently rejected the suicide theory and says his son was murdered.

The autopsy results fueled questions about the death. A medical examination revealed a bullet wound on Mir Raza’s back, along with multiple signs of physical violence. The report mentions black marks on his body and bruises on his feet. Blood stains were also found on the tissues of his lower body.

Doctors identified a fracture and bruise on his right thigh of about 12 cm. A deep injury and fracture were also detected in the jaw area. The findings have become a major point of concern as authorities try to establish what happened before Mir Raza’s death.

The relatives have requested the SHC to order the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), saying that the police investigation has failed to reach any conclusion. Justice Adnan Al Karim Memon heard the petition in his chamber and issued notice to the parties, directing them to respond by August 31.

Names of 19 individuals and institutions including various departments of the Sindh government are listed in the application. The names of Dr. Osama and Sama, who conducted the post-mortem along with the members of the investigation team, have also been taken.

Gibran Nasir, the lawyer of the family, said that the government’s decision to set up the commission came at a sensitive stage of the case. He said the family came to know about the move through media reports rather than official communication. Nasir also argued that the findings of the judicial commission cannot be converted into a criminal charge sheet or challan to be produced in the trial court.

The family raised particularly serious questions about the handling of evidence.

With the judicial commission now given 30 days and the family’s plea pending in the Sindh High Court, the Mir Raza Ali case has entered a critical phase. Competing demands for a judicial inquiry and a JIT have added another layer to an already controversial investigation, as the family continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding the young businessman’s death.

The post 30-day countdown begins, judicial commission starts searching for the truth behind Mir Raza’s death appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

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