SHC rejects family's plea for JIT in Mir Raza murder case

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking a joint investigation team to probe the death of businessman Mir Raza Ali. A two-member bench directed investigators to complete the case through a fair, impartial and speedy process instead. The petition was filed by Ali's family.

Why did the SHC reject the JIT plea?

The court said it sympathized with the family's loss but could not let that override the law. It noted the investigating officer had assured every possible effort would be made using all available resources, with help from other agencies if needed. The bench disposed of the petition on these grounds.

Justice Adnanul Karim headed the two-member bench, which also included Justice Muhammad Jaffer Raza. The verdict, reserved on Monday, came in a seven-page written order. "We are extremely mindful of the agonizing loss experienced by them; however, we cannot allow our empathetic impulses to supersede the established mandate of the law," the order said.

The SHC directed that the investigation be completed in an impartial, fair and expeditious manner. It said the petitioner could pursue all legal means to ensure a transparent and fair probe.

What happened to Mir Raza Ali?

Ali, an IBA graduate, was found dead in Karachi's Gulistan-e-Jauhar a day after he went missing on July 28. His father has maintained his son was murdered and rejected suggestions of suicide. Protests have continued in parts of Karachi since his death.

Will the family challenge the SHC ruling?

Advocate Jibran Nasir, counsel for Ali's family, said they would appeal against the verdict. He said the family had not asked the court to conduct the investigation itself but had sought judicial review of investigative lapses, which he said were documented and could not be treated as "disputed facts."

Nasir said judicial oversight of an investigation and a review of whether the process had been compromised were separate matters. He said a constitutional court could review a case where an investigation had been compromised, poorly conducted or made doubtful, adding that an available constitutional remedy also had to be effective and timely. The family had moved the SHC last month against forming an inquiry panel, arguing it would harm the case at that stage.

What is the judicial commission investigating the case?

The petition followed the SHC chief justice's formation of a judicial commission to investigate the case, headed by Justice Omar Sial. The commission was formed at the request of the Sindh government to probe the alleged murder.

Nasir had rejected the government's decision to form the commission, telling journalists on August 27 that it was formed without informing Ali's family and that its terms of reference had not been made public. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the commission had been tasked with preparing a report on the killing within 30 days. Per the notification forming the panel, it will examine the constitutional and legal aspects of the investigation and determine the facts of the case, with a focus on transparency.