Sindh seeks judicial probe into Mir Raza Ali death as family demands JIT

The move comes amid growing concerns from Ali’s family, who have questioned the handling of the case and alleged that crucial evidence may not have been

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to request the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court to establish a judicial commission to independently examine the investigation into the death of 25-year-old businessman Mir Raza Ali.

The move comes amid growing concerns from Ali’s family, who have questioned the handling of the case and alleged that crucial evidence may not have been properly investigated. However, the family’s lawyer, Jibran Nasir, rejected the government’s proposed commission and announced that the family would approach the Sindh High Court seeking the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT).

According to the Sindh Chief Minister’s Office, the government took the decision after receiving a detailed complaint from Ali’s parents, Mir Hussain and Mariam. The family had urged Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to directly oversee the investigation, alleging that investigators had continued to focus on a previously suggested suicide theory.

The proposed judicial commission would assess whether the investigation was conducted fairly and according to the law. It would also examine whether further evidence or investigative leads require attention and whether any police officer, medico-legal official or other government representative was negligent, involved in misconduct, or responsible for the suppression, alteration or mishandling of evidence.

The commission would have powers to summon witnesses, examine them under oath and obtain official records and documents. The Sindh government said all relevant departments and officials would be required to cooperate with the inquiry.

The commission is expected to submit its findings and recommendations within 30 days of its formation, unless additional time is granted to ensure a thorough investigation.

Ali’s family, however, has opposed the proposal. Nasir said the government had announced the commission without consulting the family or publicly explaining its terms of reference. He questioned why other law-enforcement agencies had not been included and why a JIT had not been constituted.

The lawyer also questioned the timing of the government’s decision, noting that police had yet to submit their investigation report before the magistrate. He said the family would move the high court seeking a JIT and challenging the proposed judicial commission.

Ali, an IBA graduate and businessman, was reported missing before his body was discovered in bushes in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar on July 29 with a gunshot wound. His family maintained from the outset that he had been abducted and murdered, while investigators initially considered suicide as a possible explanation.

The direction of the case changed after the body was exhumed and a second post-mortem examination found multiple injuries and a gunshot wound to the back. Police subsequently added a murder charge to the FIR.

The second autopsy followed disagreements surrounding the initial medico-legal examination and allegations of shortcomings in the first report. The exhumation process itself became controversial after the composition of the medical board was changed before the procedure, prompting the family to object.

The Sindh government later restored the original medical board, allowing the exhumation to take place on August 8. The investigation team was subsequently reconstituted, while the murder probe was transferred from Ferozabad Police Station to Zaman Town Police Station.

Despite these developments, the family remains dissatisfied with the investigation. In a detailed letter to the chief minister, the family’s counsel raised questions about Ali’s communications before his death, alleged gaps in digital and forensic evidence and the conduct of individuals connected to his business.

The family also demanded action against members of the original investigation team, alleging mishandling of evidence, shortcomings in recording witness statements and improper handling of the deceased’s electronic devices.

The family has further called for an inquiry into whether any senior police official or other influential person attempted to interfere with the investigation or promote the initial suicide narrative.

With the government pushing for a judicial commission and the family seeking a JIT through the high court, the case has entered another contentious phase, with questions over the investigation and the circumstances surrounding Ali’s death still unresolved.