Mir Raza murder case: Judicial commission notes motives of MLO who conducted first postmortem 'appear tainted'

Mir Raza murder case: Judicial commission notes motives of MLO who conducted first postmortem 'appear tainted'.

Key points

• Ishaq Tanoli Published September 23, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 07: 39pm.
• In its Tuesday hearing, the commission recorded the statements of Abid Farooq Sumar, Asif Farooq Sumar, Faizur Rehman and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASF) Nida Junaid.
• The body of the 25-year-old businessman was discovered in Karachi's Gulistan-I-Jauhar on July 29, a day after he went missing.
• The one-member commission, headed by Sindh High Court's (SHC) Justice Omar Sial, observed that Dr Sheikh's "motives and intentions appear tainted".
• Ishaq Tanoli is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 20 years of experience covering judicial and electoral affairs.

Ishaq Tanoli Published September 23, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 07: 39pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

KARACHI: A judicial commission investigating the circumstances and feasible negligence in the Mir Raza Ali murder case has observed that the motives of Medico-Legal Officer (MLO) Dr Osama Sheikh. This person conducted the first autopsy, "appear tainted".

For context, the body of the 25-year-old businessman was discovered in Karachi's Gulistan-I-Jauhar on July 29, a day after he went missing. After his family accused the police of trying to bury the facts, a judicial commission has been holding regular hearings to probe the circumstances and feasible negligence in the murder case.

During Tuesday's hearing, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed accused MLO Sheikh of instigating a "malicious campaign" against her after she had disputed the findings of Ali's first post-mortem.

According to a written order for the hearing issued on Wednesday, Dr Syed had submitted a "letter coupled with a number of documents as evidence of the malicious campaign launched against her on the instigation" of Dr Sheikh.

For context, the one-member commission, headed by Sindh High Court's (SHC) Justice Omar Sial, observed that Dr Sheikh's "motives and intentions appear tainted".

"His conduct has attempted to damage the honour of this commission and to detract from and scandalise its real purpose."

Justice Sial wrote that he was saddened to see the police surgeon request the commission "in a very graceful, polite and professional manner" to take notice of the "highly defamatory and dangerous social media campaign against her".

Dr Syed informed the commission that she was under "immense mental anguish and that the material being circulated against her had set a very dangerous precedent that no senior henceforth should attempt to help rectify mistakes done by the junior for fear of prosecution", the order stated.

According to The commission, dr Syed was a distinguished and seasoned professional with an impressive academic and work background, and her being subjected to such harassment was "unacceptable".

"She is an asset to the administration. Rather than appreciate her services, she is being defamed."

Dr Syed had additionally informed the commission at a previous hearing that she faced "threats" after disputing the findings of the first postmortem.

In its order, the commission requested the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency's (NCCIA) Karachi director to investigate the matter of a message exchange between the police surgeon and Dr Sheikh.

It additionally called on the NCCIA to identify whether the defamatory messages circulating on the internet were "forensically satisfactory", and determine who was responsible for the leakage of these messages on the internet.

It directed the NCCIA Karachi director to submit a comprehensive report to the commission before the end of its tenure.

During his previous appearance before the commission on Sept 1, the MLO had informed the judicial commission that he was not under any influence or pressure while conducting the postmortem and had nowhere stated in his report that Ali had died by suicide.

For its part, the commission had expressed dissatisfaction with Dr Sheikh's answers, questioned the discrepancies between his initial and final reports and asked whether he or a sweeper had conducted the autopsy.

After 14 objections by the police surgeon, he had maintained that he had conducted the procedure and that the final report was issued after the exhumation and second autopsy.

In a hearing on Monday, the commission additionally declined the MLO's request to record a further statement, observing that he "appeared on social media" and stated that he had "more to tell the commission than what he told it earlier".

In its Tuesday hearing, the commission recorded the statements of Abid Farooq Sumar, Asif Farooq Sumar, Faizur Rehman and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASF) Nida Junaid. The statement of witness Sarim bin Tahir has additionally been recorded through Zoom.

Meanwhile, the commission issued notices to Sindh Health Department Secretary Tahir Hussain Sangi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samiullah Soomro and Provincial Emergency Operation Centre Secretary Shehryar Memon for their appearance on Thursday at 11am.

Memon has lately been appointed as the Sindh health services director general to replace Dr Pervez Ahmed Shaikh – a decision taken by the Sindh administration on the day the latter testified before the commission and named Memon as the person who issued instructions to change the medical board formed for exhuming Ali's body.

Notices were additionally issued to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and Investigation Officer (IO) Siraj Ahmed Lashari and CPLC Assistant Chief (Operations/Complaint Resolution Centre) Kashif Iftikhar for their appearance on Sept 28 (Monday) at 11am.

According to the order, during Tuesday's hearing, Ali's family remarked they believed another special medical board was being considered. The family did not obtain any reply upon approaching Deputy Inspector General Amir Farooqi for confirmation.

In his order, Justice Sial further observed that if the Ali family's information was correct, such a move would nullify the commission's work to date.

"The commission will then be unable to offer its conclusive findings. It will narrow the commission's terms. The Administration of Sindh has incurred substantial expenses in running this commission, " Justice Sial wrote.

For context, the absence of "reliable, efficient, and complete communication" between the deceased's family and the police was fueling public speculation, the judge observed.

In practice, the commission requested the Sindh inspector general (IG) that a duly authorised police focal person be appointed to communicate with the family and provide official information to the press and media.

According to The judicial panel, the witness statement again disclosed that the entire record had not been provided to it.

"Even after repeated reminders, such a lack of relevant records is regrettable, " the order remarked.

Ishaq Tanoli is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 20 years of experience covering judicial and electoral affairs. As well as election matters, his reporting focuses on the proceedings of the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court. He can be discovered on X at @ishaqtanolihotm.

Taken together, the developments around mir Raza murder case: Judicial commission notes motives of MLO who conducted point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.