Mir Raza's family seeks independent JIT, inquiry report

KARACHI:

Demanding answers over Mir Raza Ali's death, his family has called on the Sindh government to release the Judicial Commission's findings and form an independent joint investigation team (JIT), citing serious concerns over the handling of the case.

In a letter to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the family's counsel, Advocate Jibran Nasir, called for an impartial investigation into allegations of evidence tampering, concealment of evidence and obstruction of the investigation, arguing that entrusting the probe to the same institutions whose conduct had come under scrutiny could raise questions about its independence.

Nasir demanded that the complete, unaltered Judicial Commission report, including its findings and recommendations, be handed over to the family immediately after it is submitted to the provincial government.

The letter highlighted concerns over the alleged loss of CCTV footage or delays in obtaining it, a fire at the crime scene, the failure to conduct timely forensic examinations of electronic devices and alleged threats to witnesses. Nasir called for an impartial investigation into all these matters.

He proposed that the JIT include representatives of the Pakistan Rangers, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and Sindh police officers who had not previously been involved in the case.

The letter also questioned the handling of findings by an eight-member special medical board constituted for Mir Raza's exhumation and medico-legal examination.