Mir Raza commission closes, mystery remains

Fifteen sittings, 49 witnesses and weeks of questioning later, the Judicial Commission probing Mir Raza Ali's death has concluded its proceedings - but several key questions surrounding the case remain unanswered.

The final hearing turned into a searching examination of the police investigation, with the commission questioning the handling of the crime scene, missing CCTV footage, leaked private chats, cryptocurrency transactions and conflicting medical opinions.

Investigating officer (IO) DSP Siraj Lashari told the commission that the probe was continuing to determine whether Mir Raza had committed suicide or had been murdered. "Police could have easily picked up someone and beaten a confession out of them, but we want justice in this case," he said.

Lashari said a super medical board was proposed because of discrepancies between the reports of Dr Usama and Dr Summaiya Syed, adding that the circumstances and evidence contradicted both reports.

Commission head Justice Umar Sial, however, questioned why the opinion of a single doctor appeared to be carrying so much weight when an eight-member medical board had already conducted the post-mortem. "The Sindh government is facing embarrassment because of Dr Usama. One Usama appears to outweigh everyone else," he remarked.

CPLC representative Kashif told the commission that its analysis of call detail records, geofencing and CCTV footage had not produced any concrete conclusion. He said geofencing began on July 28 and 29 and no suspicious activity or unusually frequent contact with a particular number was found.

Mir Raza's internet remained active until 4:25am, while Apple Maps was accessed between 4.10am and 4.20am. Police have approached the NCCIA and Apple for IP-related information.

The CPLC had 46 cameras in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Blocks 1 to 4, but the incident location fell outside their coverage. Mir Raza appeared on only three cameras. The commission also questioned five missing hours of CCTV footage from Masjid Khizra. Kashif attributed the problem to the mosque's outdated surveillance system.

Justice Sial sharply questioned the police over the preservation of the crime scene, noting that dozens of officers had entered the area.

He also questioned the evidentiary value of footage recorded on a mobile phone by SHO Adeel Afzal and noted that a guesthouse DVR had been found in the officer's vehicle. "The crime scene was made a mess," the judge remarked, questioning why no action had been taken against those responsible.

He also asked whether the police's claim that the crime scene unit reached the spot within 15 minutes was accurate, asking: "Is the IG Sindh lying?"

The commission grilled Lashari over Ali Shaz, whose name had surfaced in connection with a voice note.

Justice Sial questioned whether police had adequately investigated Shaz's movements, his departure abroad, his brother's arrival in Karachi and his apparent concern for Mir Raza.

The judge noted that two suspicious vehicles had emerged during the investigation and that Shaz owned similar vehicles.