KARACHI: The judicial commission on Thursday observed that two senior officials of Sindh health department repeatedly attempted to take shelter behind an order of a magistrate, and were taking the plea of ‘transparency’ for changing a medical board a night before exhumation of Mir Raza Ali’s body for a re-examination.

The one-man commission headed by Justice Omar Sial of the Sindh High Court also noted that health secretary Tahir Hussain Sangi and Shehryar Memon (then special secretary health who has been appointed as the Director General Health last Monday) had played a significant role in altering the medical board despite the fact that law did not authorise them to do that.

The DG health also confirmed before the commission — formed to investigate the circumstances and possible negligence in the Mir Raza Ali death case — that the current investigation team has requested setting up of a ‘super medical board’ and such proposal was being evaluated.

The commission also expressed its displeasure over first investigation team’s head SSP Samiullah Soomro’s acts of violating relevant rules, committing lapses in the investigation and mishandling the evidence.

Justice Sial asks SSP why attempt was made to portray Mir Raza’s death as suicide

The commission recorded testimonies of both officials of health department as well as the police officer during Thursday’s proceedings and adjourned the hearing till Sept 28.

The health secretary deposed that he had joined the Pakistan Administrative Service in 2005, posted in Sindh since 2009 at numerous posts including deputy commissioner in various districts.

He also testified that MLO Dr Osama Sheikh, who conducted the first autopsy, comes under the administrative control of health department while postmortems are conducted under the Sindh Medico Legal Act, 2023.

The commission observed that the MLO was scandalising the commission, witnesses and health department and asked the secretary to look into this matter.

Justice Sial asked him about a sudden change in the medical board, constituted by the police surgeon on court order, a night before the exhumation despite the fact that the law only allows the divisional police surgeon to form such a board.

He replied that he was aware about the law enacted in 2023, but there were past precedents as well as various court orders about formation of such boards by the DG health.

However, he could not point out or identify any such court order when the commission confronted him and warned him not to lay blame on courts.

He also attempted to take shelter behind the order of a magistrate and asserted that besides the police surgeon, the magistrate had addressed the secretary health as well.

The commission noted that there was nothing in magistrate’s order which could worry him since the secretary had no role in the formation of any medical board.

Mr Sangi further contended that he and the then special secretary health Shehryar Memon had discussed the issue of medical board on Aug 6 since a judicial magistrate had ordered inclusion of senior pathologists and forensic experts while Mr Memon told him that the board constituted by the police surgeon had five members within the department.

Therefore, the secretary maintained, independent experts were included in the medical board in order to maintain transparency after consultation with the then special secretary health whereas he had also spoken to Karachi police chief Azad Khan on the subject matter.

The commission asked him that he had evaded his duty and trying to mislead it whereas the entire reasonability was rested with him being secretary health.

Mr Sangi also deposed that the police surgeon was allowed to co-opt the members of previous medical board after the issue was highlighted in the media.

He denied that anybody had pressured him to issue instructions to change the board late night and further attempted to justify that besides the night in question, he also generally used to look after some urgent office work at night.

Initially, the secretary health said, he was unaware about Section 16 of SMLA which empowered divisional police surgeon to form medial board, but at the end of his testimony he informed the commission that he had knowledge about such provision.

Mr Memon, appointed as the DG health on Sept 21 the day when the then DG Pervez Shaikh had deposed before the commission and named him (Mr Memon) for directing him to change the medical board, deposed that he had joined the APS in 2011 and posted in Sindh since 2017.

He conceded that he has no authority to form a medical board, but an internal discussion was held on the subject matter with the secretary health and therefore, he was directed to contact the then DG health and convey the message to change the board.

He also admitted that he had made three to four phone calls to the DG Pervez Shaikh between 5pm and 7pm on Aug 6 to convey instructions about changes in the medical board.

When the commission asked him as to why he had asked the then DG health to do something illegal as he was not authorised under the law to do so and also misguided his seniors about reconstitution of the board.

Mr Memon asserted that despite having the knowledge of relevant law, he did it in good faith as well as for the sake of transparency.

Responding to another question that why he has been immediately appointed as DG health after such controversy about changes in the medical board, he replied that it was the discretion of government and that it may remove him from such post.

The commission also told him that whether he knew ASP Lahore Shahzab Memon, who had called ASP Nida Juanid to get information from his younger brother, Ali Shaaz Memon, in this case.

The incumbent DG health initially, denied having any link with both brothers, but admitted later during cross-questioning that he had taught ASP Shahzab.

The commission came down hard on Mr Memon several times during his statement for attempting to mislead it and concealing facts about the case.

He denied having played any role in an order to co-opt members of the previous medical board.

When Jibran Nasir, the counsel for the aggrieved family, pointed out that since Mr Memon has taken over as the DG health, the commission may ask him about confirmation regarding constitution of a super medical board in the case.

Thereafter, the newly-appointed DG health informed the commission that DIG Amir Farooqui, who is heading the current investigation team, has sent a request for formation of a super medical board in this case. However, he stated that no decision was taken on such request as the matter was being evaluated.

SSP Soomro in his statement said that he was appointed as the head of the first investigation team on Aug 2, whereas SSP (East) Zubair Nazir, SSP (investigation) Usman Sadozai and Kashif Iftikhar from CPLC were its members and also admitted that SSP Sadozai could not extend any help in the investigation since he had been out of the province between Aug 1 and Aug 9.

Justice Sial asked him as to why he had attempted to create a narrative on the media that the victim was distressed because of financial issues and might have died by suicide.

He replied that some close friends of the victim had informed him about financial difficulties of deceased and findings of MLO’s report were pointing towards a possible case of suicide, adding that he had headed the team only for six days as the investigation was transferred.

He could not offer any reasonable reply when the commission asked him as to why statements of various important people, who came under investigation, were not recorded, seizure memos of key evidence not prepared, CCTV footages were not obtained.

The SSP asserted that it was the responsibility of investigating officer and senior investigating officer Ferozabad and he had also asked them to do so, but they failed.

Justice Sial expressed serious resentment over the police officer for violating rules, taking no action against his subordinates for defying his orders, mishandling evidence and serious lapses in the investigation.

The SSP informed the commission that ASP Nida Junaid was included in the investigation to interview fiancé of the victim. He also said that a request for geo-fencing had been made to the authorities concerned on July 31, but he was not aware of its report /findings of such exercise.

He further asserted that he had grilled workers of a guest house, located near the crime scene, and did not found them suspicious. About some vehicles and a motorcycle seen near the crime scene at the time of the incident, the SSP said that they had grilled four people travelling in a car, but could not find anything suspicious.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2026