Federal agency 'launches' fresh probe into Mir Raza case

A federal intelligence agency has reportedly launched a fresh investigation into the alleged murder of Karachi businessman Mir Raza, following serious questions over the Sindh Police’s investigation and lack of progress in the case.

The development comes after Mir Raza’s parents directly appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan for intervention and assistance.

According to Aaj News report citing sources, the federal agency has taken serious notice of the matter and begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the facts allegedly hidden behind it.

Sources said the agency has started a fresh review of the investigation conducted by police so far, including all evidence collected during the probe. The investigating team has also been asked to provide the complete original record of all CCTV footage related to the case. Police authorities have been asked to submit details of the available evidence and progress made so far so that shortcomings in the earlier investigation can be identified.

As part of the investigation, the federal agency has also obtained data from Mir Raza’s smartwatch and mobile phone, along with relevant forensic information.

Sources said the agency has acquired the complete geofencing record of the area where the incident occurred and filtered the suspicious numbers that were active there at the relevant time. CCTV footage, smartwatch data, mobile records and geofencing information have now been incorporated into the new investigation as key sources of evidence.

Earlier, Mir Raza’s parents and their lawyer, Jibran Nasir, had expressed serious concerns over the initial police investigation and alleged incompetence, calling on the Prime Minister, Sindh Chief Minister and senior police officials to directly supervise the case.

Mir Raza’s father, Mir Hussain, had strongly criticised the investigation, alleging that interference by the Sindh government was evident in the case and that police incompetence had become apparent.

During the investigation, the team also questioned Dr Usama, the medico-legal officer who conducted the first post-mortem examination, for more than five hours. According to sources, investigators questioned him about the transparency of the initial post-mortem and the concerns surrounding it. He has reportedly been directed to continue cooperating with the investigation.

During a lawyers’ protest at the City Court over the failure to arrest the suspects, Mir Raza’s father alleged that Dr Usama had been removed so that he could not answer questions.

Mir Hussain also questioned whether the post-mortem report had been prepared merely on the basis of photographs and asked under whose pressure this had allegedly been done. He maintained that there were clear irregularities in the case.

Following these developments, Mir Raza’s lawyer Jibran Nasir also sent a formal letter to the Sindh Chief Minister, demanding that officers who were part of the previous investigation team be immediately removed from sensitive positions and suspended until the investigation is completed.

Jibran Nasir said that despite the formation of a new investigation team, the probe was still focused on the earlier suicide narrative rather than finding evidence of the alleged murder. He called for an independent investigation into the shortcomings of the previous team and alleged alterations to the case record.

The petition filed by Mir Raza’s parents alleges that the original investigation team presented a wrong and fabricated suicide narrative and failed to properly preserve evidence.

The petition also seeks disciplinary action against several police officers, including DIG East Farrukh Lanjhar, SSP Samiullah Somroo, Zubair Nazir Sheikh, Usman Sadozai, Asif Ali Jakhrani, Adeel Afzal, Shabbir Laghari, Kamran and Arshad Afridi, among others.

The petition alleges that the Sindh Home Minister and Inspector General of Police Sindh failed to take necessary action and urges the highest authorities to intervene immediately so that those responsible for Mir Raza’s death can be brought to justice.