A judicial commission investigating the death of young businessman Mir Raza Ali has questioned the doctor who conducted his initial post-mortem examination over significant discrepancies between the first and subsequent medical reports.
The one-member commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Omar Sial, extensively questioned Medico-Legal Officer (MLO) Dr Usama Sheikh during proceedings on Tuesday. The hearing focused on the accuracy of the initial post-mortem report and whether important injuries had been properly documented.
Dr Sheikh told the commission that he had completed his MBBS in 2016 and had conducted more than 100 post-mortem examinations. He acknowledged that he had not received formal training at a major government hospital but said he had later completed a two-year course related to his medico-legal duties.
Justice Sial questioned the doctor about injuries and marks visible on Mir Raza’s hands and feet that were not reflected in the initial report. Dr Sheikh attributed some of the marks to decomposition, an explanation that drew strong criticism from the commission.
The commission also examined differences between the initial and final post-mortem reports. The final examination, conducted following the exhumation, concluded that Mir Raza’s death was caused by a firearm injury and that the findings were inconsistent with suicide.
During questioning, Justice Sial warned that the discrepancies could represent serious negligence and questioned whether failures in the initial examination may have affected the investigation into the young businessman’s death.
Mir Raza, a 25-year-old businessman and owner of dessert outlet Wafflix, disappeared on July 28 before his body was discovered in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar the following day. His family has consistently rejected the initial suggestion that he died by suicide and has maintained that he was murdered.
The commission is also examining the police response, handling of evidence and other circumstances surrounding the case. Several witnesses, including Mir Raza’s business partners, friends and police officials, have been summoned for further questioning.