Judicial commission points finger at police’s ‘epic failure’, says Mir Raza was murdered

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>KARACHI: A judicial commission formed to investigate the circumstances and possible negligence in businessman Mir Raza Ali’s murder case has pointed out the police’s “epic failure” in their investigation.</p> <p>The Sindh cabinet decided to make the report public during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah earlier in the day. The judicial commission, which <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2025724#:~:text=Judicial%20commission%20begins%20proceedings">began</a> its proceedings on Aug 28, held regular hearings to record statements of several individuals linked to the case.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2021881'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2021881" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>“<mark>This case demonstrates an epic failure by the police in their investigation</mark>,” declared the 62-page <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://home.sindh.gov.pk/files/Home/Commission%20of%20Inquiry%20%28Mir%20Raza%20Case%29%20Report-%20Detailed.pdf">report</a> submitted by Sindh High Court’s (SHC) Justice Omar Sial, who had been heading the judicial panel.</p> <p>“The police breached all required procedures, both knowingly and unknowingly, necessary to withstand judicial scrutiny and a successful prosecution,” the report stated.</p> <p>While acknowledging that the initial police response when they were informed of the presence of a body was prompt, the report noted that subsequent events “left a lot to be desired”.</p> <p><mark>“It was a murder,” the report declared.</mark></p> <p>It explained that the bullet trajectory, the unusual location of the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2026388">wound</a> if it had been a self-inflicted injury, the “absence of blood, the state of the body, the principles of medical jurisprudence, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2029888/mir-raza-murder-case-police-surgeon-says-she-received-threats-after-disputing-first-autopsy-findings#:~:text=return%20from%20Gujranwala.-,Acid%20burns,-At%20the%20outset">acid burns</a> and the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2029888/mir-raza-murder-case-police-surgeon-says-she-received-threats-after-disputing-first-autopsy-findings#:~:text=Presence%20of%20anaesthesia">anaesthesia detected</a> in the blood all clearly excluded suicide as the cause of death”.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/HomeSindh/status/2112542393228775876'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/HomeSindh/status/2112542393228775876"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>The commission determined that releasing the police findings before a proper investigation was “premature and fell short of professional standards”.</p> <p>“Even if the death had been a suicide, the police should have established who was responsible for driving a young man to that point, including whether coercion, blackmail, or instigation was involved. They made no such effort.”</p> <p>It said the <mark>police investigation “failed in its most basic duty: to establish the truth”</mark>.</p> <p>It further observed that “incessant public criticism of the police created problems” as the police “went into a shell, completely broke down communication channels, and took a position based on ego rather than on cogent, solid reasons”.</p> <p>The report pointed out specific issues with the police conduct: “Lack of leadership, seriousness, and supervision, and, in some cases, negligence by the senior officers. The handling of this case has been like a rudderless ship, not aware of its destination.</p> <p>“Ranging from negligent to criminally negligent, inexplicable, casual, and unprofessional investigation.”</p> <p>According to the commission, an <mark>active cover-up in the initial stages of the investigation cannot be conclusively ruled out</mark>. It noted that senior police officers swept clear investigative lapses under the carpet, without acknowledging them, addressing them, or even attempting to do so.</p> <p>“Too many cooks spoil the broth. The proverb is applicable to this case as far as the police are concerned,” the judicial commission observed.</p> <p>“Dozens of police officers – authorised and unauthorised – were involved in collecting evidence in this case, approaching and interrogating crucial persons, and in most cases not documenting it in any manner,” it said, adding that therefore, <mark>no officer was willing to take responsibility for the lapses</mark>.</p> <p>The inquiry said there was a need to mitigate public speculation by an “honest and timely briefing on the investigation”, but this was not done, and the family or the public were not updated through official disclosures.</p> <p>“The police did not follow the commission’s recommendation to appoint a focal person for this reason. As a result, public speculation further embarrassed the government and the police.”</p> <p>Regarding the controversy over the reconstitution of a medical board formed for the exhumation of Ali’s body, the report said: “The overnight bureaucratic manoeuvring was a highly irregular, inexplicable, legally flawed overreach dictated entirely from the upper echelons of the Sindh Health Secretariat, more specifically by the secretary and special secretary, Health.”</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2031937/health-services-chiefs-transfer-soon-after-testimony-surprises-judicial-commission'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2031937" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>It added that the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2031937/health-services-chiefs-transfer-soon-after-testimony-surprises-judicial-commission">Health Services director general</a>, “being aware that he was not legally competent to form a medical board for exhumation, looked the other way”.</p> <p>“The two gentlemen who directed the change in the board could not give a cogent reason for the abrupt change, making it extremely controversial, fueling public speculation, and embarrassing the Sindh government.”</p> <p>Referring to an Aug 9 meeting held at CM House, which “drew considerable speculation and controversy”, the report said that “no ulterior motive can be inferred from this meeting”. The meeting was attended by Medico-Legal Officer (MLO) Dr Osama Sheikh, who conducted Ali’s first autopsy, the Karachi police chief and other senior officials.</p> <h2><a id="observations-on-officials" href="#observations-on-officials" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" title="Permalink"></a>Observations on officials</h2> <p>Listing its observations for certain police officials involved in the case, the judicial panel identified <mark>“criminal negligence” on the part of Station House Officer </mark><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2029888#:~:text=Ferozabad%20SHO%20questioned%20about%20FIR%20registration"><u><mark>(SHO) Adeel Afzal</mark></u></a> of Ferozabad police station.</p> <p>“Initiate a comprehensive inquiry into him, leading to dismissal from service. He should be suspended in the interim. He must also be questioned to determine whether he has facilitated the destruction of key evidence,” the report read.</p> <p>It also found criminal negligence by Sub-inspector Shabbir Leghari, the first investigating officer (IO) in the case, and called for disciplinary proceedings against him and his suspension.</p> <div class="raw-html-embed-wrapper" style="width: 100%;"> <iframe class="raw-html-embed" srcdoc="&lt;!DOCTYPE html&gt;&lt;html&gt;&lt;head&gt;&lt;style&gt;body{margin:0;padding:0;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif;overflow-wrap:anywhere;}&lt;/style&gt;&lt;/head&gt;&lt;body&gt; &lt;!-- Embeddable fragment: paste into any page. All styles are scoped under .mrc --&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;mrc&quot; role=&quot;region&quot; aria-label=&quot;Observations on the police and health officials, pages 53 to 57&quot;&gt; &lt;style&gt; .mrc{--bg:#fff;--fg:#1d2330;--mut:#5d6575;--line:#d6dae3;--head:#1f3a5f;--headfg:#fff;--band:#f3f5f9;--pg:#e7ecf4; font-family:Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;color:var(--fg);background:var(--bg);max-width:100%;line-height:1.55;box-sizing:border-box} .mrc *{box-sizing:border-box} @media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.mrc{--bg:#14181f;--fg:#e6e9ef;--mut:#9aa3b2;--line:#2c3442;--head:#2b4a75;--headfg:#fff;--band:#1a2029;--pg:#222b38}} .mrc h2{font-size:1.2rem;margin:0 0 .25rem;font-weight:700} .mrc .sub{margin:0 0 1rem;color:var(--mut);font-size:.9rem} .mrc .wrap{overflow-x:auto;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:6px} .mrc table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;min-width:560px;font-size:.93rem} .mrc th{background:var(--head);color:var(--headfg);text-align:left;padding:.65rem .8rem;font-weight:600} .mrc td{padding:.7rem .8rem;border-top:1px solid var(--line);vertical-align:top} .mrc td.off{font-weight:700;width:26%} .mrc tbody tr:nth-child(even) td{background:var(--band)} .mrc td p{margin:0 0 .6em}.mrc td p:last-child{margin:0} .mrc .note{margin:.8rem 0 0;color:var(--mut);font-size:.82rem} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;h2&gt;TOR 3: Observations on the police and health officials&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;sub&quot;&gt;Commission of Inquiry (Mir Raza Case) Report, pages 53–57.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;wrap&quot; tabindex=&quot;0&quot;&gt; &lt;table&gt; &lt;thead&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th&gt;Official&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th&gt;Observations&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/thead&gt; &lt;tbody&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;AIG Azad Khan&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;No material lapse found on his part. However, the investigating team members failed him.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;DIG Amir Farooqi&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;A very capable officer. Has not performed to his potential. Lack of leadership and supervision. A tunnel vision approach. In some aspects, professional negligence. Lack of ownership of the investigation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Much respect was given to the senior officers, and questionnaires were sent to them. Two of them, DIG Farooqi and DIG Lanjar, did not return that respect. Their replies were evasive, non-serious, and stereotypical. If, after all that has been revealed in the Commission, DIG Farooqi is satisfied with the investigation, then it is cause for great concern. His position reflects denial. Similarly, DIG Lanjar has taken a casual, non-serious, offhand position. As a DIG East, it was ultimately his responsibility - a responsibility he did not perform.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;DIG Farukh Lanjar&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lack of leadership and supervision.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Much respect was given to the senior officers and questionnaires sent to them. Two of them, DIG Farooqi and DIG Lanjar, did not return that respect. Their replies were evasive, non-serious, and stereotypical. If, after all that has been revealed in the Commission, DIG Farooqi is satisfied with the investigation, then it is cause for great concern. His position reflects denial and ego. Similarly, DIG Lanjar has taken a casual, non-serious, nonchalant position. As a DIG East, it was ultimately his responsibility - a responsibility he did not perform.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;SSP Samiullah Soomro&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Lack of leadership and supervision. Negligence. A casual approach to the investigation. Did not consider the legal aspects of the case. Requires training. However, gracefully admitted the lapses made.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;SHO Adeel Afzaal&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Criminal negligence. Initiate a comprehensive inquiry into him, leading to dismissal from service. He should be suspended in the interim. He must also be questioned to determine whether he has facilitated the destruction of key evidence.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;S.I. Shabbir Leghari&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Criminal negligence. Initiate comprehensive disciplinary proceedings, leading to dismissal from service. He should be suspended in the interim.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;SHO Kamran Qureshi&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Unprofessional and unlawful conduct. Should be taken off the assignment of an SHO. Initiate comprehensive disciplinary proceedings against him. He must also be questioned to determine whether he has facilitated the destruction of key evidence.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;DSP Siraj Lashari&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;A capable officer. In this case has not performed and missed important leads. Did not verify or question previous investigations. A tunnel vision approach. The recorded statements showed no application of mind. Justified lapses based on “this is how it is practically done”. A non-serious approach was taken.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;ASP Nida Junaid&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Unprofessional. Requires training. Her link with a person of interest must be inquired into to eliminate doubt about her role in this investigation.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;Inspector Ghaus&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Criminal negligence&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;Dr. Osama Shaikh&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Extreme immaturity. Childish behaviour. Overconfidence. Unprofessional conduct not befitting a medical professional. Must not be assigned medico-legal duties unless he has undergone at least two years of rigorous academic and practical training. He was possibly influenced. This must be conclusively determined.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;Zeeshan, Head Moharar&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Based on his statement recorded in the Commission, he is the only official who made Sindh police proud. He should be encouraged through appreciation and training.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;PC Mohammad Arif&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Diligent. Positively energetic. Should be encouraged through appreciation and training.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;SSP Zubair Nazeer Shaikh (East) and SP Usman Sadozai (East)&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;The Commission could not request their appearance because of time constraints. However, there is little doubt that they treated the case casually and unprofessionally.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;Mr. Tariq Sangi, Secretary Health&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;Lack of leadership and supervision.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;off&quot;&gt;Mr. Shehryar Memon, Special Secretary Health&lt;/td&gt; &lt;td&gt;An inquiry must be initiated against him for suddenly and for no reason changing the Special Medical Board. He says he acted in good faith. However, there is no indication of good faith, and his directions appear to be influenced.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt; &lt;/table&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;note&quot;&gt;Source: Sindh Home Department, Commission of Inquiry (Mir Raza Case) Report – Detailed, TOR 3. 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Unprofessional conduct not befitting a medical professional. Must not be assigned medico-legal duties unless he has undergone at least two years of rigorous academic and practical training.”</p> <p>The report said he was “possibly influenced” and called for the angle to be “conclusively determined”.</p> <h2><a id="suicide-vs-murder" href="#suicide-vs-murder" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" title="Permalink"></a>Suicide vs murder</h2> <p>The report also said a voice note provided by Alishaz Mushtaq to police was “one of the most suspicious parts of this case”. It said that Mushtaq and ASP Nida Junaid, “played a very important role in supporting the police narrative that the death was due to suicide”.</p> <p>It said that the person Mushtaq named as his source did not corroborate the information he provided, raising suspicion regarding his conduct.</p> <p>It further said that the WhatsApp messages Ali sent to Sarim Bin Tahir asking for Rs30m, which was “full of uncharacteristic grammatical errors and truncated spellings and read as acute panic”, suggested the deceased was being “blackmailed or threatened”.</p> <p>It also noted that while CCTV footage showed Ali with a pistol on the night he was killed, this was “unusual”.</p> <p>“All his close friends and associates told the Commission that Raza did not possess or use pistols. They said he would probably not even know how to handle one. Witnesses also vouched for his peace-loving, calm, and gentle demeanour. Why he took the pistol remained a mystery. The pistol, however, has not been found to date,” it said.</p> <p>It further said: “The known financial distress was also not of such a nature that would lead a person to suicide. Ali’s behaviour, until the ride-hailing service dropped him off, did not suggest he was ready to take an extreme step for this reason.”</p> <h2><a id="recommendations" href="#recommendations" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" title="Permalink"></a>Recommendations</h2> <p>Suggesting the next steps, the judicial commission said accommodating the family’s request for a joint investigation team <mark>(JIT) was the “most viable path</mark> to mitigate ongoing reputational damage to the Government of Sindh”.</p> <p>It recommended that a JIT be constituted under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Baloch to “balance the need for public accountability with preserving Sindh Police morale and reputation”.</p> <p>The report said the team should “integrate senior representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to ensure an impartial, comprehensive, and credible resolution.</p> <p>“This extreme step is necessary to restore public trust and end speculation,” it stressed.</p> <div class="raw-html-embed-wrapper" style="width: 100%;"> <iframe class="raw-html-embed" srcdoc=" &lt;!DOCTYPE html&gt; &lt;html lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt; &lt;head&gt; &lt;meta charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt; &lt;meta name=&quot;viewport&quot; content=&quot;width=device-width, initial-scale=1, viewport-fit=cover&quot;&gt; &lt;title&gt;Mir Raza Case: Summary of Recommendations&lt;/title&gt; &lt;style&gt; :root{--bg:#f7f6f2;--card:#fff;--text:#1f2328;--muted:#5d6570;--line:#dcd9d0; --a:#b3361f;--b:#1f6f8b;--c:#5b7f2b;--d:#7a4fa0; box-sizing:border-box;padding-top:env(safe-area-inset-top,0px);padding-bottom:env(safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)} @media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){:root:not([data-theme=&quot;light&quot;]){--bg:#16181b;--card:#202429;--text:#eceae4;--muted:#a3a9b1;--line:#363b42;--a:#ec7a63;--b:#62b4d1;--c:#9cc45f;--d:#b996dc}} :root[data-theme=&quot;dark&quot;]{--bg:#16181b;--card:#202429;--text:#eceae4;--muted:#a3a9b1;--line:#363b42;--a:#ec7a63;--b:#62b4d1;--c:#9cc45f;--d:#b996dc} html{scroll-padding-top:env(safe-area-inset-top,0px)} *{box-sizing:border-box} body{margin:0;background:var(--bg);color:var(--text);font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,&quot;Segoe UI&quot;,Roboto,sans-serif;line-height:1.4;padding:20px} h1{font-size:1.25rem;margin:0 0 4px} .sub{color:var(--muted);font-size:.85rem;margin:0 0 16px} .grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(250px,1fr));gap:14px;max-width:1100px} .col{background:var(--card);border:1px solid var(--line);border-top:5px solid var(--k);border-radius:10px;padding:14px} .col h2{font-size:.95rem;margin:0 0 2px;color:var(--k)} .col .t{font-size:.75rem;color:var(--muted);margin:0 0 10px} .item{display:flex;gap:10px;padding:8px 0;border-top:1px solid var(--line);font-size:.85rem} .n{flex:none;width:24px;height:24px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--k);color:var(--bg);font-weight:700;font-size:.75rem;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center} .item b{display:block;font-size:.85rem} .item span{color:var(--muted);font-size:.8rem} .A{--k:var(--a)}.B{--k:var(--b)}.C{--k:var(--c)}.D{--k:var(--d)} .key{max-width:1100px;margin-top:14px;padding:12px 14px;border-left:5px solid var(--a);background:var(--card);border-radius:6px;font-size:.85rem} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;/head&gt; &lt;body&gt; &lt;h1&gt;Mir Raza Case: Summary of Recommendations&lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;sub&quot;&gt;11 recommendations grouped into four themes&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;grid&quot;&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;col A&quot;&gt;&lt;h2&gt;1. Resolving this case&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;t&quot;&gt;Restore trust, fix accountability&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;1&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Joint Investigation Team&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Led by DIG Irfan Baloch with ISI, IB, Rangers (Sindh) and NCCIA; police to acknowledge and apologise for lapses, with formal inquiries into officers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;2&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;High-level inquiry (FIA-led)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Probe breaches of PPC 201, 166(2), 218 in first ten days; criminal and disciplinary action.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;11&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Solving ≠ proving&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Even if solved, proof in court will be difficult.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;col B&quot;&gt;&lt;h2&gt;2. Reform process&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;t&quot;&gt;Systemic and legal change&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;3&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Reform committee&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Diverse experts modernise first response, crime scenes, medico-legal work, evidence handling and record-keeping; 3-month target.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;8&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sindh Medico Legal Act 2023&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Implement fully, raise awareness, frame the Rules.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;col C&quot;&gt;&lt;h2&gt;3. Resources &amp;amp; forensics&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;t&quot;&gt;Money, science and units&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;4&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Investigation budget&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Increase it, ensure it reaches investigators, monitor use digitally.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;5&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Forensic evidence&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Use in scene management, collection, preservation and tracking.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;n&quot;&gt;9&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crime Scene Units&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span&gt;Expand capacity, link with Forensics, dedicated staff and a DIG.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;col D&quot;&gt;&lt;h2&gt;4. 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The panel further suggested steps regarding training of investigators and enhancing the capacity of Crime Scene Units.</p> <h2><a id="panel-formed-to-ensure-implementation" href="#panel-formed-to-ensure-implementation" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" title="Permalink"></a>Panel formed to ensure implementation</h2> <p>The judicial panel’s primary mandate was to determine the facts and circumstances of the case; assess whether police and medico-legal investigations were impartial; identify professional negligence, misconduct, evidence manipulation, or cover-ups; review digital/forensic evidence; and recommend further investigation, forensic analysis, or legal/departmental action.</p> <p>According to a handout issued by the Sindh chief minister’s spokesperson, the judicial inquiry report was presented in seven separate sealed envelopes.</p> <p>It will be uploaded on the website of the provincial home department on Tuesday, while a copy will also be provided to the aggrieved family.</p> <p>Further, CM Shah also constituted a four-member sub-committee to ensure the implementation of the report.</p> <p>The committee comprises Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani and the Sindh advocate general.</p> <p>Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also took to X to announce that the report would be made public on Tuesday.</p> <p>“The government of Sindh remains committed to transparency, accountability and ensuring that due process of law is upheld,” he said.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/sharjeelinam/status/2112495772822384650'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/sharjeelinam/status/2112495772822384650"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Last week, the commission <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2037461">handed</a> over the sealed report to the provincial government after examining 49 witnesses during 15 hearings.</p> <p>The inquiry report, along with associated documents, was handed over to the focal person of the provincial government and Home Department Additional Secretary Javed Ahmed Abro by the commission registrar, Abdul Majid, on the premises of the SHC.</p> <p>After receiving the record, Abro told reporters that he would hand over the sealed report along with other records to the provincial government and it was the prerogative of the government to decide whether the inquiry report was to be brought into the public domain or otherwise.</p> <p>In August, the provincial government <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2024871">formed</a> the commission, which was tasked with making recommendations for further investigation and forensic analysis or legal/departmental action, and it was required to submit its findings and recommendations to the Sindh government within 30 days.</p> <p>However, the commission had struggled to meet its deadline and sent an application last month to the Sindh government for an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2033973">extension</a> in its tenure till Oct 15. Therefore, the provincial cabinet granted an extension.</p> <p>Besides examining 49 witnesses and available record, the commission had also sent questionnaires to Karachi police chief Azad Khan, head of current investigation team DIG Amir Farooqui and DIG East Farrukh Lanjar after dismissing an application by the aggrieved family to summon the senior police officers to testify before the commission.</p> <p>The 25-year-old businessman and Institute of Business Administration graduate had gone missing on July 28 after leaving his home in PECHS and his body with gunshot wounds was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2019314">found</a> a day later in bushes in Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s locality.</p> <p>Initially, the police built the case around suicide on the basis of the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2026777">first autopsy</a>, which indicated a bullet entry wound on the chest, and by pointing out business losses and money borrowed by the victim.</p> <p>Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2029888">disputed</a> the findings of the first post-mortem conducted by medico-legal officer Dr Osama Sheikh.</p> <p>The second post-mortem report <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2026388">termed the findings</a> of the first report “inconsistent” with suicide as the manner of Mir Raza’s death. It said the Exhumation Board was of the unanimous opinion that the death was caused by a gunshot wound to the back.</p> <hr /> <p><em>Additional input by Tahir Siddiqui</em></p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.