Sindh High Court forms judicial commission to probe Mir Raza Ali's death

The Sindh High Court has formed a judicial commission to investigate the death of 25-year-old businessman Mir Raza Ali.

His family has alleged he was kidnapped and murdered after going missing in Karachi last month.

Who is heading the judicial commission into Mir Raza Ali's death?

The court appointed Justice Umar Sial to head the commission, following a request from the Sindh government. The decision was confirmed in a notification issued on Monday, and the court's directorate has formally conveyed it to the Sindh Home Department.

The commission was constituted by the provincial government under Section 3(1) of the Sindh Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance, 1969. Further details on its terms of reference and the timeline for completing the inquiry were not immediately available.

What happened to Mir Raza Ali?

Ali's body was found in bushes in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar on July 29, a day after he went missing.

His family has maintained that he was abducted, tortured and killed, while police investigators had previously pointed to evidence suggesting he may have died by suicide.

He disappeared on July 28, and his body was recovered the following day from a deserted area near Shahi Qila Ground in Gulistan-i-Jauhar with a gunshot wound. The circumstances of his death have remained disputed since then.

Why did the family seek a second post-mortem?

Questions over the original autopsy and the investigation led Ali's family to seek a fresh post-mortem examination through a judicial magistrate.

The body was exhumed on August 8 by an eight-member medical board headed by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, in the presence of a magistrate, the family's lawyer and the investigating officer.

The second post-mortem examination lasted about 75 minutes, after which the body was reburied. Doctors collected samples for identification, chemical analysis and gunshot-residue testing, while the cause of death was kept pending laboratory results.

What did the second post-mortem find?

Syed said the examination found multiple injuries to Ali's head and face, along with a fractured rib she described as the gunshot entry wound, with the bullet exiting from the front.

She also reported injuries to his right flank and feet, and a congealed black substance in his mouth and throat.

The judicial commission is expected to examine these findings, along with the wider investigation, as it seeks to establish the circumstances surrounding Ali's death.

Why has the case drawn public attention?

The case has drawn growing public attention, with family members, friends and civil society activists staging nightly protests near Karachi's Nursery bus stop on Sharea Faisal for the past three weeks.

Demonstrators have blocked the major thoroughfare and vowed to continue their campaign until those responsible for Ali's death are brought to justice.