KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday initiated steps to implement the recommendations of a judicial commission investigating the death of Mir Raza Ali, forming a joint investigation team and separate committees to examine the case and the conduct of officials involved.
According to an official letter, Deputy Inspector General of Police Irfan Baloch will head the JIT, which will include senior representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The provincial government has contacted the relevant institutions and requested that they nominate officers of grade 18 or above to serve on the team.
The decision follows a judicial commission’s conclusion that Raza’s death was a murder, contradicting the initial police theory that he had died by suicide.
How the Mir Raza Case Unfolded
Raza, a 25-year-old graduate who operated a waffle-making business under the name Wafflix, went missing from his residence in Karachi’s PECHS area during the early hours of July 28.
His body was later recovered within the jurisdiction of Gulistan-e-Johar Police Station. A post-mortem examination was conducted at Jinnah Hospital, and he was buried on the same day.
Police initially treated the death as a suicide. However, Raza’s family challenged that conclusion, alleging that his body bore visible signs of torture.
In early August, the police surgeon identified anomalies in the initial post-mortem report. The body was subsequently exhumed on August 8 for further examination.
According to the judicial commission’s findings, the final medical report, issued around August 31, established the cause of death as a perforating firearm injury entering from the back, ruling out suicide.
Judicial Commission Criticises Police Investigation
The single-member judicial commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Omar Sial, submitted its report to the provincial chief minister on October 15, 2026.
The commission described the police investigation as an “epic failure” and warned that the loss of public confidence in the Sindh police had become extremely difficult to repair in this case.
Its report stated that the available medical and physical evidence was inconsistent with suicide. The commission cited the bullet’s trajectory, the location of the wound, the condition of the body, alleged acid burns and the presence of anaesthesia in the blood among the factors supporting its conclusion.
The commission also questioned the basis of the original police theory, observing that it relied on unverified text messages, selectively obtained video footage and a preliminary post-mortem report that had not itself established suicide as the cause of death.
It further identified contradictions between the first and second reports prepared by Dr Osama Shaikh.
The report said the possibility of an active cover-up during the initial stages of the investigation could not be conclusively ruled out. This was an observation by the commission rather than a final determination of criminal responsibility.
Mir Raza Case: Commission Orders Notice to Sindh Home Minister Over AG’s Conduct
Action Proposed Against Police Personnel
Following the commission’s findings, the Sindh Home Department has written to the provincial inspector general of police regarding action against officers and personnel named in the report.
The commission’s observations, along with recommendations made by a cabinet subcommittee, have been forwarded to the provincial police chief.
A separate one-member committee has also been established under Additional Inspector General of the Counter Terrorism Department Zulfiqar Ali Larak to review the roles and performance of the police officials identified by the commission.
The committee has been assigned four principal responsibilities:
Examine the role of every officer and official named in the judicial commission’s report in light of the specific observations made against them.
Assess their overall policing performance, professional capabilities and conduct.
Investigate further the role of Inspector Ghaus in the alleged burning of the crime scene.
Submit a report to the Sindh inspector general of police containing findings and recommendations concerning each officer and official.
The committee’s findings are expected to help determine what further departmental or other action may be warranted.
Health Department Asked to Review Medical Findings
The Home Department has also contacted the provincial health secretary regarding the commission’s observations about the medical examination and the constitution of the medical board.
The cabinet subcommittee has proposed removing Dr Osama Shaikh from his post and requiring him to undergo two years of training.
The judicial commission had raised serious concerns about changes to the medical board, describing the process as irregular and legally flawed. It attributed responsibility for the changes to senior officials within the Sindh Health Secretariat.
The commission also questioned the role of the director-general of health services, stating that he had failed to intervene despite concerns about the legal authority under which the board was constituted.
The proposed administrative measures are part of the broader effort to address the medical and investigative shortcomings identified in the report.
Separate Committee Proposed Under Federal Investigation Agency
In addition to the JIT, the Sindh government has written to the federal Ministry of Interior, requesting the nomination of a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer of grade 20 or above to head a separate committee, in line with the judicial commission’s recommendations.
The proposed committee would form another part of the institutional response to the case.
The commission recommended a JIT because of concerns over compromised physical evidence and the credibility of the initial investigation. It argued that a conventional police inquiry might not be sufficient to restore public confidence under the circumstances.
The involvement of officers from multiple intelligence, security and cybercrime institutions is intended to support a broader examination of the available evidence and establish the facts surrounding Raza’s death.
Commission Calls for Accountability and Restoration of Trust
The judicial commission warned that the case had reached a critical point because of the damage to evidence and the serious loss of public trust.
It cautioned that even if investigators correctly identified the killer, sections of the public might remain unconvinced because of the way the case had initially been handled.
The commission also called on the police to acknowledge their operational failures, issue a transparent apology and initiate formal inquiries against those responsible.
The Sindh government’s latest measures represent an effort to implement those recommendations through further investigation, departmental reviews and scrutiny of the medical examination process.
The JIT’s findings and the reports of the separate committees will be important in determining the next steps in the case, including accountability for alleged misconduct and the identification of those criminally responsible for Raza’s killing.
