Sindh Extends Mir Raza Murder Judicial Commission Until October 15
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: The Sindh government has extended the tenure of the judicial commission investigating the death of young businessman Mir Raza Ali until October 15, giving the panel additional time to complete its inquiry and finalise its findings and recommendations.
The extension was approved by the Sindh cabinet during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday.
The single-member judicial commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Omar Sial, was constituted in August to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza’s death and examine whether there was negligence in the handling of the case.
The commission’s original 30-day tenure had expired on September 27, forcing proceedings to be temporarily adjourned while formal approval for an extension was awaited.
The provincial cabinet was informed that the commission had already conducted extensive proceedings and recorded statements from dozens of witnesses but required additional time to complete the remaining stages of its inquiry.
Following the extension, the commission is scheduled to resume proceedings on Friday.
The commission has been tasked with establishing the facts and circumstances surrounding Mir Raza’s death and determining whether the investigation was conducted impartially and in accordance with the law.
Its mandate also includes examining whether any police officer, medico-legal officer or other official committed negligence, professional misconduct, suppression or manipulation of evidence, an unlawful act or any form of cover-up.
The panel can also recommend further investigation, forensic examination and legal or departmental action based on its findings.
Mir Raza, a 25-year-old Karachi businessman, went missing on July 28. His body was recovered the following day from bushes in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
The handling of his death subsequently became the subject of controversy, particularly over the initial investigation and medical examination.
The investigation team was later reconstituted and a murder charge was added to the case.
A second post-mortem report subsequently concluded that Mir Raza died from a gunshot wound to the back, with the firearm injury causing cardiac rupture. The medical findings determined that the nature of the injuries was inconsistent with suicide.
The judicial commission will now continue examining the evidence and testimony before preparing its findings and recommendations within the extended timeframe.
