The Sindh government announced on Sunday that it would ask the chief justice of the provincial high court to establish a judicial commission to determine whether the investigation into the murder of Mir Raza Ali was conducted impartially and in accordance with the law. The decision came amid growing tension between the provincial authorities and Ali's family, who have openly rejected the proposed commission and plan to challenge it in court.
Ali, a 25-year-old businessman and IBA graduate, was found dead with a gunshot wound on July 29 in bushes in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar, a day after he was reported missing. The police initially built a case around suicide, but after an exhumation and a second post-mortem revealed multiple injuries and a shot to the back, a murder charge was added. The second autopsy was conducted after a controversy between the police surgeon and investigators over loopholes in the first post-mortem report. On August 6, a judicial magistrate allowed the exhumation on an application by Ali's father, Mir Hussain. An eight-member medical board, with Dr. Sumaiyya Syed as convener, was constituted but then reconstituted on August 7 by the DG Sindh health department to five members, which the family rejected. The Sindh government later restored the original board, and the body was exhumed on August 8. The following day, the IG office notified the reconstitution of the investigating team, and the investigation was transferred from Ferozabad police station to Zaman Town police station.
Family Presses Allegations in Letter to Chief Minister
According to the chief minister's office, the decision to request the judicial commission came days after Ali's parents, Mir Hussain and Mariam, approached Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, requesting that he directly supervise the investigation. In their letter, written through their lawyer Jibran Nasir, they alleged that the probe team "appears to focus on perpetuating the false narrative of the death of the deceased by suicide." The letter, which was 22 pages long, expressed dissatisfaction and set out a series of complaints against the police, including that "murderers and conspirators... exercise considerable political clout" and that the family was "horrified at the level of corruption, incompetence and political influence prevalent within Sindh Police." The letter demanded the immediate suspension of police officers from the original investigation team and raised 24 unanswered questions, including about Ali's communications and missing digital and forensic evidence. It also quoted the "police hierarchy has been reduced to a tool used to corrupt and later destroy the crime scene." The parents proposed 10 charges against police officers, including deliberately mishandling material evidence and failing to record witness statements, and suggested 13 terms of reference for a department inquiry, including why the earlier team pursued a suicide theory and failed to heed a letter from the Police Surgeon Karachi. They also asked for an examination into the custody, handling, and forensic examination of the deceased's smartwatch.
Government Announces Commission Mandate
The Sindh chief minister's office said the letter was received with "compassion and the utmost seriousness." In a statement, the CM office said: "After carefully considering the concerns expressed by the family, the government of Sindh has decided to request the honourable chief justice of the Sindh High Court to establish a judicial commission to conduct an impartial and transparent inquiry." The statement said the commission should determine whether the investigation has been conducted impartially and in accordance with the law, and should also identify any investigative angle or evidence requiring further investigation. The commission's mandate includes determining whether "any police officer, medico-legal officer or other official committed negligence, dereliction of duty, professional misconduct, suppression or manipulation of evidence, or any unlawful act, omission or cover-up." It may also recommend further investigation, forensic analysis, and appropriate legal or departmental action where warranted.
Family Plans Court Challenge for JIT
However, the government's decision was not accepted by the family. Soon after the announcement, family counsel Jibran Nasir said they would approach the Sindh High Court on Monday to seek the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) and oppose the planned commission. Nasir also posted on X, questioning why the police had not submitted an investigation report before the magistrate and why the government announced the judicial commission before that. In a video message, Ali's sister Alishba said the family came to know about the decision through the media, and questioned the basis of the decision, noting that the police are to submit their report on August 24.
The family wants a joint investigation team that includes more law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and has sent a message to the Sindh home minister asking for a copy of the decision. Their demands are part of a broader set of concerns that have been raised since the beginning of the case.
Background: Exhumation, Second Autopsy, and Tensions
The case has already been marked by disputes over the investigative process. On August 9, the same day the investigation was transferred, the Sindh government initially decided to seek a judicial commission, but deferred the decision a day later after the family indicated they had not made such a demand at that time. On Wednesday, the family wrote their detailed letter to the CM expressing dissatisfaction, which led to the government's latest announcement.
The Sindh government's decision to turn to the judiciary reflects the deep divisions that have emerged between the parties. The family's letter alleges that the police hierarchy has been "reduced to a tool used to corrupt and later destroy the crime scene," and proposes charges against officers under the Pakistan Penal Code for mishandling evidence. The government's response, while acknowledging the family's concerns, has not yet addressed the specifics of the allegations.
The relationship between the government and the family has been marked by several conflicts, and the family's objection to the judicial commission underlines that the dispute is likely to continue, with the case moving to the high court in the near future.