KARACHI: A sealed report prepared by the judicial commission formed to investigate the circumstances and possible negligence in Mir Raza Ali’s murder investigation was handed over to the provincial government on Thursday.

The commission, headed by Justice Omar Sial of the Sindh High Court, concluded its proceedings last week after examining 49 witnesses during 15 hearings, including inspection of the crime scene.

The inquiry report along with associated documents was handed over to focal person of the provincial government and additional secretary of home department Javed Ahmed Abro by registrar of the commission Abdul Majid on the premises of the SHC.

As Justice Sial was hearing cases at the SHC Hyderabad circuit court, the registrar of the commission handed over the sealed report along with the entire record of the proceedings to the provincial authorities.

It’s up to provincial authorities whether to make the document public or keep it secret, says official

According to a communication sent by registrar Abdul Majid to the chief minister of Sindh through the focal person, since Justice Sial has been sitting at SHC Hyderabad pursuant to the roster commencing from Oct 12, the registrar has handed over the sealed report to the focal person along with executive summary, statements of witnesses and other supplementary documents.

After receiving the record, Mr Abro told reporters that he would hand over the sealed report along with other record 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. In August the provincial government formed 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.

However, the commission had struggled to meet its deadline and sent an application last month to the Sindh government for an extension in its tenure till Oct 15. Therefore, the provincial cabinet granted an extension.

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 of aggrieved family to summon the senior police officers to testify before the commission.

Therefore, the three police officers had submitted written answers before the commission through a commissioner appointed by the commission.

The 25-year-old businessman and Institute of Business Administration graduate, Mir Raza Ali, had gone missing on July 28 after leaving his home in PECHS and his body with gunshot wounds was found a day later in bushes in a Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s locality.

Initially, the police built the case around suicide on the basis of the first autopsy, which indicated a bullet entry wound on the chest, and by pointing out business losses and money borrowed by the victim.

However, police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had disputed the findings of the first post-mortem conducted by medico-legal officer Dr Osama Sheikh.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2026