Court directs Mir Ali Raza's business partner not to leave city during probe

A court in Karachi on Saturday ordered the business partner of Mir Raza Ali, the 25-year-old owner of the dessert brand Wafflix, to join the investigation into the murder case, while directing him not to leave the city as long as the probe continues.

Ali, 25, was allegedly kidnapped from PECHS before his body was found in bushes near a wedding hall in Gulistan-e-Johar on July 29. The case had initially been surrounded by uncertainty over whether he had been murdered or died by suicide. However, the findings of the second post-mortem consolidated his family’s longstanding claim that he had been assassinated. The police probe is facing constant scrutiny by the public because of earlier lapses that were also admitted by the Sindh Inspector General of police.

The Additional District and Sessions Court East heard an interim pre-arrest bail application filed by Ali’s business partner, Muhammad Ahmed.

Ahmed’s lawyer, Khalid Mumtaz, told the court that his client was being harassed by police and had been called to the crime scene instead of the police station.

The court asked, “Who harassed you?” The lawyer replied that Ahmed had allegedly been harassed by the former investigating officer.

Counsel for Ali’s parents, Jibran Nasir, rejected the allegation, telling the court that no one had been harassed and that police had called people for investigation.

“Thirty-five witnesses and people have been called, and their questioning has taken hours,” Nasir said. “My client has been murdered. If they are granted bail today, other people linked to this case will also seek bail.”

Mumtaz told the court that Ahmed had commercial dealings with Ali and was also being included in the police investigation.

Read: DNA confirms recovered body is Mir Raza Ali

Mumtaz said police were harassing his client, although he was co-operating with the investigation, and that he feared he could be arrested.

The court had directed Ahmed to appear in person during Saturday’s hearing. The court asked Ahmed’s lawyer, “You were not an accused in this case, so why did you seek bail?”

The court further said, “Think about whether you want to pursue this bail or withdraw it.” The court told Ahmed that whether he was on bail or not, he was bound to join the investigation.

Ahmed told the court that he went to the police station whenever police called him. The court ordered Ahmed not to leave the city while the investigation was under way.

The court adjourned the hearing until August 24 and directed Ahmed’s lawyer to decide at the next hearing whether to withdraw or pursue the bail application.

Ahmed had filed the interim pre-arrest bail application before the Additional District and Sessions Court.

Speaking to the media at the City Court premises, Nasir said, “If the police come to someone’s house in this manner, then this can happen.”

“We have provided the police with information about everyone he had met. Police are now questioning all those people,” he said. “We only want a transparent investigation into this case,” Nasir added.

He said the new deputy superintendent of police appointed as investigating officer had only recently started work. “We are not telling anyone to arrest or not arrest anyone,” he said.

Read more: Ride-hailing driver recounts Mir Raza's journey from home to Gulistan-e-Johar before murder

Nasir said Ali’s father himself had demanded a transparent investigation.

“Why is the killer being protected? The whole city is asking this question,” he said. and further added that I hope the new team would conduct a transparent investigation in this case.

He thanked all those who had been protesting over the matter day and night, saying, “The youth of Karachi have raised their voice over this matter.”