Mir Raza Death Probe Ends After 49 Witnesses, Key Questions Remain
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: A judicial commission investigating the death of Mir Raza Ali has concluded its proceedings after 15 hearings and testimony from 49 witnesses, with several important questions surrounding the case still unresolved.
The final hearing focused on the police investigation, conflicting medical opinions, missing surveillance footage and concerns over how evidence was collected and preserved.
The commission, headed by Justice Umar Sial, questioned investigators about shortcomings in the examination of the crime scene and the handling of material that could help establish the circumstances of the death.
Investigating officer DSP Siraj Lashari told the commission that police were continuing to investigate whether Mir Raza had died by suicide or had been killed.
He explained that a further medical board had been proposed because of differences between the findings of Dr Usama and Dr Summaiya Syed.
Justice Sial questioned why an individual medical opinion appeared to carry considerable weight when an eight-member medical board had already conducted the post-mortem examination.
The commission also examined surveillance and digital evidence presented by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC).
A CPLC representative, Kashif, said an analysis of call records, geofencing information and CCTV recordings had not produced a definitive conclusion.
The inquiry heard that Mir Raza’s internet connection remained active until approximately 4:25am, while Apple Maps had been accessed between 4:10am and 4:20am.
Police have approached the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and Apple for additional internet protocol information.
Investigators also faced questions about five missing hours of CCTV footage from Masjid Khizra. The gap was attributed to an outdated surveillance system, although the missing recordings remained an issue during the proceedings.
Justice Sial criticised the preservation of the crime scene after hearing that numerous police officers had entered the area.
He also questioned the handling of a guesthouse digital video recorder reportedly found in a police officer’s vehicle.
The commission further examined whether investigators had sufficiently reviewed the movements and connections of Ali Shaz, whose name had emerged in relation to a voice recording.
Questions were raised about two vehicles identified during the investigation, but no finding of criminal responsibility was established.
Although the commission’s hearings have ended, the police investigation remains ongoing, and the available evidence has not conclusively established the cause or circumstances of Mir Raza Ali’s death.
