ISLAMABAD – The mysterious death of young Karachi businessman Mir Raza has taken another turn as judicial commission rejected the police’s initial suicide theory, identified serious investigative failures, and recommended fresh investigations involving Pakistan’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The judicial commission, which submitted its findings to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on October 15, recommended establishing a powerful investigative team under DIG Irfan Baloch.
The proposed JIT would bring together representatives from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Pakistan Rangers Sindh and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
The inclusion of intelligence and specialised investigative agencies is intended to ensure a comprehensive examination of the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza’s death. The commission also recommended a separate high-level committee headed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the conduct of police officials involved in the original inquiry.
Officials found responsible for misconduct, negligence or criminal wrongdoing could face departmental and criminal proceedings. The proposed JIT has not yet been formally notified, according to the latest information provided by local media.
The so-called case of suicide now emerged as suspected murder surrounded by troubling forensic evidence, mishandled CCTV recordings, missing documentation, questionable police conduct and allegations that crucial evidence may have been concealed. The findings have placed the initial police investigation under intense scrutiny, with the Sindh government now preparing to establish a high-level Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
Reports said official notification for the formation of the JIT in the Mir Raza murder case is expected shortly. The development comes following a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and members of the provincial cabinet’s subcommittee tasked with reviewing the judicial commission’s findings.
According to the chief minister’s spokesperson, the committee presented its preliminary recommendations, paving the way for action against police officials whose conduct has come under scrutiny. Sindh government has indicated that the commission’s recommendations will be implemented, including action against the relevant Station House Officers (SHOs) and investigation officer.
Earlier, the cabinet subcommittee, headed by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, reviewed the commission’s findings and discussed the measures required to implement its recommendations. Lanjar said the committee would submit its recommendations to the chief minister at the earliest.
Perhaps the most alarming revelation in the judicial commission’s report is its rejection of the police’s initial claim that Mir Raza had taken his own life. The commission concluded that the available evidence pointed towards murder rather than suicide.
According to the report, the trajectory of the bullet, the unusual location of the gunshot wound and the absence of blood raised serious doubts about the original police explanation. The condition of Mir Raza’s body raised further questions.
Investigators identified signs of acid burns, while toxicological findings revealed the presence of a sedative substance in his blood. The commission observed that these findings were inconsistent with the suicide theory.
It also challenged the assumption that a bullet entering from the front automatically establishes suicide, pointing out that a person can be shot from the front during a homicide. The key summary cited the final post-mortem report, which identified a gunshot wound entering from the back as the cause of death.
These findings have raised fundamental questions about how police reached their initial conclusion and whether critical evidence was properly examined before the case was publicly described as suicide.
Judicial Commission constituted to investigate Mir Raza’s murder starts proceedings