KARACHI, October 20, 2026: A judicial commission investigating the death of 25-year-old Mir Raza Ali has recommended the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) led by DIG Irfan Baloch, with senior representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The commission described the proposed team as the only viable way to restore public confidence and pursue a credible resolution of the case, which it said had been undermined by serious failures in the initial police investigation.
Headed by Sindh High Court Judge Justice Omar Sial, the single-member commission submitted its report to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on October 15, 2026. The Express Tribune has reviewed the executive summary of the findings.
Mir Raza Ali’s Death Ruled a Murder
Mir Raza Ali, an Institute of Business Administration graduate who operated a waffle-making business under the name Wafflix, went missing from his residence in Karachi’s PECHS area in the early hours of July 28.
His family registered FIR No. 795/2026 at Ferozabad police station the same day under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), relating to kidnapping.
His body was found the following morning within the jurisdiction of Gulistan-e-Johar police station. A post-mortem examination was conducted at Jinnah Hospital, and the body was buried that day.
Police initially treated the death as a suicide. The family disputed that conclusion, alleging that the body bore visible signs of torture.
In early August, the Police Surgeon identified anomalies in the initial post-mortem report, which police had relied upon in advancing the suicide theory.
Following a court order, the body was exhumed on August 8. Initial findings were shared on August 8 and 9, while the final official report, issued around August 31, concluded that the cause of death was “a perforating firearm injury from the back, ruling out suicide”.
Sections 302 PPC, relating to murder, and 201 PPC, concerning the destruction of evidence, were subsequently added to the FIR.
The commission said the bullet trajectory, the unusual location of the wound for a self-inflicted injury, the absence of blood, the condition of the body, acid burns and the detection of anaesthesia in the blood collectively ruled out suicide.
“It was a murder,” the report stated.
Commission Describes Police Investigation as an “Epic Failure”
The commission sharply criticised the police investigation, saying it had “failed in its most basic duty: to establish the truth”.
According to the report, the initial police theory relied on a limited number of unverified text messages, selectively obtained video footage and a first post-mortem report that did not itself establish suicide.
The commission also noted that a second report by the same doctor, Dr Osama Shaikh, contradicted the initial findings.
Describing the investigation as “a rudderless ship, not aware of its destination”, the commission said an active cover-up during the early stages could not be conclusively ruled out.
The report identified several shortcomings, including what it described as “tunnel vision” among senior officers and a tendency to defend the initial suicide ruling instead of pursuing alternative explanations.
It also found that dozens of authorised and unauthorised police personnel had handled evidence without proper documentation.
The commission further criticised police for disregarding its recommendation to appoint a focal person for public briefings, saying the absence of clear communication allowed speculation to grow and caused embarrassment to the government.
However, the commission stressed that it lacked the investigative powers needed to establish conclusively whether a cover-up had occurred.
Controversy Over Medical Board Formation
The report also raised concerns over changes made to the medical board appointed to examine the circumstances surrounding Ali’s death.
On August 6, following a court order under Section 176(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), authorities notified an eight-member board headed by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed.
In the early hours of August 7, the Sindh Health Directorate replaced it with a five-member board that included a larger number of doctors from Hyderabad and Jamshoro.
Ali’s family rejected the revised board at the graveyard, delaying the exhumation. Following public pressure and a legal notice, the government restored the original board on August 8. The exhumation was completed at 11am that day.
The commission described the changes as “a highly irregular, inexplicable, legally flawed overreach” and attributed the decision to senior officials in the Sindh Health Secretariat, specifically the secretary and special secretary for health.
It also criticised the director-general of health services for failing to intervene despite being aware of concerns over the legal authority to constitute the revised board.
According to the report, the officials who directed the changes could not provide a convincing explanation for the abrupt decision.
Commission Finds No Evidence of Pressure at CM House Meeting
The commission also examined a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s House on August 9, 2026, attended by Dr Osama at the request of the Additional Inspector General of Police Karachi.
It found no evidence that the meeting had been convened to pressure the doctor and said no adverse inference could be drawn from the briefing itself.
However, the commission said it would have been prudent to invite the Police Surgeon to the meeting as well.
The report also accused Dr Osama of continuing to make the meeting controversial in a way that, according to the commission, sought to undermine the Police Surgeon’s position.
JIT and Federal-Level Inquiry Recommended
The commission said the case had reached a critical stage because public trust had deteriorated and a significant portion of the physical evidence had been compromised.
It warned that even an accurate conclusion or the identification of the actual perpetrator might not be accepted by the public unless authorities addressed the failures surrounding the investigation.
The report made two principal recommendations.
First, the commission recommended a JIT led by DIG Irfan Baloch, incorporating representatives from the ISI, IB, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and NCCIA. The recommendation followed the family’s request for a broader investigation involving multiple agencies.
The commission said the police should acknowledge and apologise for previous operational lapses and immediately initiate formal inquiries against officers responsible for them.
It described the involvement of multiple agencies as necessary to restore public confidence and end speculation surrounding the case.
Second, the commission recommended a high-level inquiry, preferably led by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), into whether police officials involved in the first 10 days of the investigation violated Sections 201, 166(2) and 218 PPC.
The proposed inquiry should determine whether criminal misconduct occurred and initiate criminal proceedings, alongside departmental action, against any officials found culpable.
The commission said certain unexplained actions raised the possibility of a cover-up at some stage, but it could not make a definitive determination without investigative powers.
Commission Records 50 Witnesses
The commission began its proceedings on August 27 and recorded statements through October 7 during 20 public sessions.
It heard testimony from 50 witnesses and conducted a detailed inspection of the crime scene and adjoining areas on October 5.
According to the report, all sessions were held in public to promote transparency and limit speculation. The main report contains further observations on accountability and recommendations in its responses to the commission’s terms of reference.
Sindh Cabinet Forms Subcommittee to Oversee Recommendations
The report was presented to the Sindh cabinet in seven separate envelopes during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah at the CM House in Karachi, according to a spokesperson.
The chief minister subsequently formed a subcommittee comprising Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani and the advocate general to oversee implementation of the commission’s recommendations.
The subcommittee is expected to monitor the government’s response to the report and the proposed accountability measures.
Cabinet Approves $150 Million World Bank Property Tax Programme
Separately, the Sindh cabinet approved a $150 million World Bank-supported programme to reform the province’s property tax system, improve revenue collection and strengthen the financial management of local government institutions.
Under the Sindh Property Revenue Enhancement Programme, the government aims to increase property tax collection across Karachi’s 25 town municipal corporations from Rs2.3 billion to Rs25.5 billion.
According to a briefing to the cabinet, the World Bank will provide $110 million for the Programme-for-Results component and $40 million for investment projects. The Sindh government will contribute an additional 20% of the amount linked to the Programme-for-Results component.
The programme also seeks to modernise property tax collection in other urban local councils and strengthen the institutional capacity of 45 selected councils.
The cabinet also approved introducing an Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in local government institutions to improve financial management and administrative performance.
The package includes financing and implementation agreements, a framework for assessing results, verification procedures, and environmental and social safeguards. It was submitted to the cabinet for post-facto approval, according to the chief minister’s spokesperson.
The World Bank’s board is expected to consider the programme package on October 30.
