Raza's chehlum held as family vows to fight on

The chehlum of Mir Raza Ali, the deceased owner of dessert brand Wafflix, was observed on Sunday, with relatives, friends and residents of the area attending the gathering.

Quran Khwani was held and special prayers were offered for the forgiveness of the deceased and elevation of his ranks.

Speaking to the media, Mir Raza's father, Mir Hussain, said the family had been struggling for justice since the first day and would continue its efforts until justice was served.

"Forty days have passed and we did not even realise it. We have been fighting for justice from day one and will continue until the end," he said.

Mir Hussain said the family was making every effort to have a joint investigation team (JIT) constituted. He said the judicial commission formed to investigate the case had also highlighted issues that the family had been raising since the beginning.

"When it was known from the first day that it was a murder, why was an attempt made to change the direction of the case?" he questioned.

He said the family had demanded the formation of a JIT, but the matter was instead referred to a judicial commission.

"We have even had our son's grave exhumed. Now we will get justice," he said, adding that facts were gradually emerging that corroborated the family's claims.

Mir Hussain said negligence by Dr Usama and the Jauhar police station had also come to light.

He appealed to the public to pray for Mir Raza and for justice to be served.

Mir Raza's neighbour, Sohail Hashim, said residents were tired of speaking about the case but would continue their struggle for justice.

"Mir Raza was our child and a shining star. He was not only our neighbour but also a good human being," he said.

Hashim said Mir Raza had risen from humble beginnings and gone on to provide employment to people in Karachi. "Perhaps some people could not tolerate his success," he added.

He questioned why the alleged killers had not yet been traced and demanded that they be brought to justice.

"Very few young people like Raza are born in Karachi. If Raza gets justice, we will feel that our efforts have succeeded," Hashim said.

Referring to the slogan, "Mir, your blood will bring revolution," he said, "Today I say that revolution has come through Mir's blood."

Hashim said people had been voluntarily participating in protests demanding justice for Mir Raza for the past 40 days.