KARACHI, Sindh: The Mir Raza judicial commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Omar Sial, has been formally notified and given 30 days to investigate the young businessman’s death and examine the police probe.
The Sindh Home Department constituted the one-member Commission of Inquiry under Section 3(1) of the Sindh Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance, 1969, after Justice Sial was nominated by the Sindh High Court chief justice.
Under the notified terms of reference, the commission will determine the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza Ali’s death and assess whether investigators acted impartially and in accordance with law. It will also identify evidence or investigative angles requiring further examination.
The commission will examine possible negligence or dereliction of duty by police officers, the medico-legal officer (MLO) and other government officials. It can also determine responsibility if evidence was concealed, altered or tampered with.
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The panel may recommend further investigation, forensic examination, legal proceedings or departmental action. It can summon witnesses and require departments and officials to produce relevant documents and records.
Justice Sial must submit the commission’s report to the Sindh government within 30 days, although the provincial government may extend the deadline if required.
The commission’s formation remains contested by Ali’s family, which has petitioned the Sindh High Court (SHC) for a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) instead. On Tuesday, the SHC sought legal assistance on whether it can directly order a JIT and issued notices for the next hearing on August 31.
Ali, 25, went missing from Karachi’s PECHS area on July 28. His body was found the following day in Gulistan-e-Jauhar with a gunshot wound, according to court reporting.
