Mystery crime: Journalist found dead in artist’s DHA studio

Murtaza Razvi was the head of Dawn’s magazines.

KARACHI: On Thursday afternoon, the first lane of Khadda Market was jammed with police vehicles. Officers were cordoning off the area and redirecting traffic as the body of Murtaza Razvi, senior assistant editor at Daily Dawn and head of its magazines section, was being brought down from the Rassam Studio of Arts.

The body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). “There were marks on his neck as if someone had used a rope to strangle him,” said JPMC MLO Jugdesh Kumar after the post-mortem. “He was strangled to death. A cummerbund was used. I cannot share further details as the police is still investigating the case.”

Razvi’s body was found in the first-floor apartment of Faran Homes, located on 10th Commercial Street. The apartment, which has four rooms, was being used as a private studio by artist Shahid Rassam, who is believed to be a good friend.

Razvi was reported missing on Thursday morning by his wife since he had not come home on Wednesday night. “Rassam and his watchman found the body in the morning,” according to Darakhshan SHO Muhammad Mubeen. “He called Razvi’s wife and the police was informed later.” Rassam was asked to come to the station to record a statement.

He added that Razvi was most probably murdered early morning on Thursday. They did not say why he was murdered but ruled out a sectarian motivation.

Investigating officer Khuda Baksh said that when they found the body, Razvi’s hands were tied with a maroon cloth that appeared to be a kameez.

No FIR was lodged by the time this report was filed. The family said that he did not have any personal enmities and have requested the media not to speculate till the police investigate.

Razvi leaves behind a widow and three daughters. The funeral prayers will be held at Masjid-e-Yasrib in Phase IV, DHA after Jumma prayers today.

A cultured journalist

Razvi was born in 1964. He worked with Dawn for over ten years. He held the post of Dawn’s resident editor in Lahore and moved to Karachi to take over as magazines editor. He was the author of Musharraf: The Years in Power (2009) and Ordinary People (1992).

Friends and colleagues remember Razvi as a kind man. The editor of Dawn’s investigative monthly magazine, Herald, Badar Alam, said that Razvi had been helpful when he had moved to Karachi. “He knew everything about Urdu and Persian literature and poetry. He was a very cultured man,” he said. “He showed me around the city and invited my family over for dinner and a chat. He was like a brother and a mentor to me. He was always willing to own up to his mistakes and improve.”

Dawn feature writer Peerzada Salman said Razvi had looked after the Gallery section of the paper for many years. “I am still in shock over his death,” he said. “I had lunch with him three times last week. This is just unbelievable.”

The News Karachi senior editor Talat Aslam said he had known Razvi for many years, and they later worked together at Dawn as editorial staffers. He recalled him as being “very funny, very sophisticated, well informed, well read and witty”. “He had a biting sense of humour. We’d meet off and on and get on well together,” Aslam said.

Advertising executive Sami Shah worked with Razvi when Shah was employed at DawnNews. “I was introduced to him by Abbas Nasir, the editor-at-large at the time. I was doing my show, News Weakly then, and Dawn was concerned that I’d get them into trouble etc. so Razvi was tasked to edit the show. Every week he’d go over the script, make things funnier, and add value. He was a sweetheart, a complete gentleman. He was a well read, really smart and intelligent guy. The last time I spoke to him properly was when he’d written this beautiful article for Dawn and I told him how much I liked it, and he was very gracious. It’s just a shock.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2012.