KARACHI: The family of waffle chain owner Mir Raza Ali has challenged the composition of a newly formed medical board that was due to conduct his exhumation and fresh post-mortem examination, leading to the suspension of the process on Friday.
The family submitted an application before a judicial magistrate, expressing no confidence in the five-member board and requesting that the earlier eight-member panel, constituted following a court order, be restored.
The development came a day after the magistrate ordered the exhumation of 25-year-old Mir Raza’s body after concerns were raised over shortcomings in the initial post-mortem examination.
Mir Raza was allegedly abducted from the PECHS area and was later found dead near a wedding hall in Gulistan-e-Jauhar last week. Police have been investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and have raised the possibility that he was subjected to violence before being shot.
The medical board originally constituted for the fresh examination consisted of eight members. However, a late-night notification replaced that panel with a five-member board, retaining only Dr Summaya Syed from the original team.
The new board included Professor Dr Zakiuddin of Dow University, Professor Dr Qazi Akbar of Liaquat University Jamshoro, pathologist Dr Abid Hussain, Hyderabad Police Surgeon Dr Waseem and Dr Summaya Syed as convener.
Mir Raza’s family objected to the change, arguing that the new panel had been formed without their consent and contrary to the court’s directions. They requested the magistrate to stop the exhumation until the original board was restored.
Mir Raza’s father, Mir Hussain, said the family would not permit the procedure under the newly constituted panel. He maintained that the family recognised only the original eight-member board and alleged that the sudden change had raised serious concerns about the investigation.
He also questioned the police investigation and criticised statements suggesting that the case was close to being resolved before the fresh post-mortem had taken place.
Family lawyer Jibran Nasir separately submitted an urgent objection to the police surgeon, arguing that the new board lacked the legal basis required for conducting the exhumation.
Nasir maintained that the order for constituting the new panel conflicted with the judicial directions and relevant medico-legal provisions. He warned that the family would pursue legal remedies if the exhumation was conducted by a board they considered improperly constituted.
The lawyer also raised questions about several aspects of the investigation, including the late-night notification regarding the new investigation team, the alleged delay in recording the complainant’s statement and the recovery of a spent bullet casing after a court order.
He said the family wanted the original medical board to conduct the examination and rejected the possibility of accepting an alternative panel.
The dispute resulted in a standoff at the cemetery, where police had deployed security personnel ahead of the scheduled procedure. Supporters of the deceased’s family also gathered at the site as discussions continued between the authorities, the magistrate and the family.
The controversy over the exhumation follows concerns raised by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaya Syed regarding the initial post-mortem report.
In a letter to the East SSP, Dr Syed reportedly identified several deficiencies in the examination, including the absence of an X-ray, failure to collect hand swabs for gunshot residue testing and the lack of chemical analysis of marks around the reported bullet entry wound.
She also pointed to the absence of internal examination of the skull and neck, inadequate documentation of firearm injuries and a lack of detailed scientific findings regarding the reported wounds and bullet trajectory.
Questions were also raised over the documentation of the body’s condition and the absence of a DNA sample despite concerns regarding positive identification.
Police have yet to conclusively establish whether Mir Raza’s death was a case of murder or suicide. The judicial magistrate will consider the family’s objections before further proceedings regarding the exhumation are decided.
