{
  "id": 1192971,
  "title": "Police questioning Mir Raza Ali's 35 phone contacts: IO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/police-questioning-mir-raza-alis-35-phone-contacts-io-1192971",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T04:05:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2023077/police-questioning-mir-raza-alis-35-phone-contacts-io"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KARACHI - The murder investigation of young businessman Mir Raza Ali has expanded to 35 individuals who investigators believe were in contact with the victim via phone calls. This information was presented by the newly-appointed investigating officer, DSP Siraj Lashari, to a judicial magistrate on Saturday. The 35 suspects are currently being interrogated by the police as part of the murder probe into Ali's disappearance and subsequent death.\n\nMir Raza Ali, a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), went missing on July 28 and was found dead in bushes in Gulistan-i-Jauhar the following day. DSP Lashari appeared before the court on Saturday to request additional time to file a progress report, as he had only recently taken charge of the case. He stated that no one has been named as an accused at this point, as the investigation is still ongoing. The police have yet to identify any suspects as the main suspects, pending further investigation. DSP Lashari sought more time to gather forensic and medical reports, and the court granted his request, asking him to file a progress report on August 24.\n\nMeanwhile, on the same day, a sessions court extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Mir Raza Ali's business partner, Muhammad Ahmed Bhardey, until August 24. His counsel, Khalid Mumtaz, argued that his client was being harassed by the police and might be arrested despite cooperating fully with the investigation. The court heard that Bhardey had been summoned to the crime scene rather than a police station. Advocate Jibran Nasir, representing Ali's family, questioned why Bhardey sought bail when he had not been named as an accused. The judge clarified that Bhardey would have to attend the investigation regardless of his bail status. Nasir informed the court that Bhardey had been appearing at the police station whenever summoned, and the judge directed him not to leave the city while the investigation continued. The judge extended Bhardey's interim bail until August 24.",
  "summary": "KARACHI: Investigators probing the Mir Raza Ali murder case are questioning as many as 35 persons who were found to have been in contact with the deceased over the phone. The information was provided by the newly appointed investigating officer (IO), DSP Siraj Lashari, to a judicial magistrate on Saturday. Young businessman and IBA graduate Mir Raza had gone missing on July 28 and his…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Police questioning Mir Raza Ali's 35 phone contacts: IO",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/police-questioning-mir-raza-alis-35-phone-contacts-io",
        "published": "2026-08-16T04:05:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}