Judicial commission points finger at police’s ‘epic failure’, says Mir Raza was murdered

KARACHI: A judicial commission probing the murder of businessman Mir Raza Ali has concluded that the Sindh cabinet's decision to release the report is a result of the police's "epic failure" in their investigation. Justice Omar Sial, heading the Sindh High Court (SHC) panel, stated that the police had "breached all required procedures" during the inquiry. While acknowledging the initial police response when they discovered the body, the report highlighted that subsequent events "left a lot to be desired."

The commission, comprised of seven members, presented its findings in seven separate sealed envelopes. It will be uploaded on the provincial home department's website on Tuesday, and a copy will be provided to the aggrieved family. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also established a four-member sub-committee to oversee the report's implementation, consisting of Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, and the Sindh Advocate General.

Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced that the report would be made public on Tuesday, emphasizing the government's commitment to transparency and accountability. The commission had gathered testimony from 49 witnesses during 15 hearings and handed over the sealed report to the provincial government along with other records. The government then decided whether to release the report to the public or not.

In August, the provincial government formed the commission to make recommendations for further investigation, forensic analysis, and legal or departmental action. However, the commission struggled to meet its initial deadline and requested an extension, which the Sindh government granted. The commission had also sent questionnaires to the Karachi police chief, the head of the current investigation team, and another DIG, despite the aggrieved family's request to summon senior police officers to testify.

The 25-year-old businessman, a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, went missing on July 28 and was found dead in bushes in Gulistan-i-Jauhar's locality with gunshot wounds. The police initially built the case on suicide, but the second post-mortem report called the findings "inconsistent" with suicide.