KARACHI: A medical board that exhumed the body of young businessman Mir Raza Ali and conducted a second autopsy has ruled out suicide, concluding that he was shot in the back.

The body of Mir Raza was found with a gunshot wound in a hilly area opposite the University of Karachi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on July 29, after he had gone missing from his home in PECHS on July 28.

On Monday, the medical board held a meeting at the Police Surgeon Office and issued its final report, which states: “The findings are inconsistent with suicide as the manner of death.”

The report, which was released to the media by the Sindh police, stated: “Based on the exhumation findings and corroborative laboratory reports for this case, the exhumation board is of unanimous opinion that death occurred due to cardiac rupture consequent upon a perforating firearm injury of the chest (entry wound on posterior thorax, exit wound on anterior thorax).”

SHC reserves order on family’s petition for formation of JIT

It has been pointed out that the body of Raza was exhumed about 12 days after death and was found in an advanced stage of decomposition.

The medical board was headed by Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed and comprised Prof Dr Naseem Ahmed of Dow Medical College, Dr Farah Waseem of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Additional Police Surgeon Dr Sirichand, Aamir Hasan Khan of the Citizens Police Liaison Committee, Dr Muhammad Yaseen, Dr Daniyal Mirza and Dr Kamran Khan.

Inquiry underway

Also on Monday, a statement issued from the office of the Sindh police chief said a high-level team was continuing its inquiry into the Mir Raza case.

The team has received the final report of the second post-mortem examination (exhumation of the body of Mir Raza) on August 31.

Keeping in view the requirements of public interest and furthering the probe, the final report was being shared with the public, the statement stated.

“The inquiry team was examining the final report and advancing the probe in its light,” it added.

Commenting on the conclusion of the final report, which stated that the “findings are inconsistent with suicide as a manner of death”, police sources said the term “inconsistent” should not be interpreted as meaning that suicide had been ruled out.

Order reserved on parents’ plea for JIT

The Sindh High Court on Monday reserved its order on a petition filed by Raza’s family seeking constitution of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the case.

A two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC headed by Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon heard the counsel for petitioners, advocate general (AG), prosecutor general as well as investigating officer of the case and reserved its order, which is likely to be pronounced on Tuesday (today).

The family petitioned the SHC last week against formation of a judicial commission and also sought directives for provincial authorities concerned to form a JIT.

At the outset of the hearing on Monday, the AG has informed the bench that the judicial commission had already been constituted and started its proceedings.

Petitioners’ lawyer Jibran Nasir argued that the judicial commission cannot investigate the case, but to conduct an inquiry as per its terms of reference.

He stated that a JIT would investigate the case from various angles and informed the bench that a JIT and a judicial commission were formed to separately investigate the Gul Plaza inferno.

The AG submitted that the commission was constituted to investigate the alleged negligence committed during the investigation.

Responding to a question of the judges, the AG submitted that relevant provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 could be invoked subject to the availability of evidence in this case.

He submitted that the victim’s family may file an application to change the investigation team of the case, but the court could not interfere in the ongoing investigation.

The provincial law officer maintained that an alternative remedy was available with the petitioners as they may approach a sessions court.

The prosecutor general submitted that the charge sheet has not been filed yet as the court concerned granted time to submit the same.

In response to a query, DSP Siraj Lashari, the IO, told the judges that the possibility of suicide had been ruled out after the second autopsy.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2026