The judicial commission investigating the killing of young Karachi businessman Mir Raza concluded its latest hearing after recording the statement of police surgeon Dr Samia. The hearing focused on the post-mortem procedure, bullet wounds, photographs, preservation of evidence and issues surrounding the post-mortem report.
Dr Samia told the commission that she had been serving as a police surgeon since June 2022 and had conducted 99 exhumations in Karachi and Thatta. She explained that during an examination, a body is assessed from head to toe, while photographs of significant findings are taken. Doctors also determine whether injuries occurred before or after death.
Questions were also raised about who conducted Mir Raza’s post-mortem. Justice Umar Sial noted that the commission had learned that the procedure was allegedly performed by a sweeper. Dr Samia clarified that Shoaib Rashid was not a sweeper but a laboratory assistant who had received post-mortem training from her.
During the hearing, Dr Samia presented screenshots of her conversations with Dr Usama. She said she had requested photographs of Mir Raza’s injuries, including the entry and exit points of the bullet. According to her, however, the requested images were not fully available, and photographs of the back of the body were also missing from the mortuary records.
Dr Samia said she learned on August 1 that the post-mortem report had been submitted. After receiving a copy of the report, she raised questions about some of its observations, including observations related to an image of the heart. She said the report had not been brought to her beforehand and she had not been given a proper opportunity to discuss it before it was submitted.
The preservation and examination of forensic samples also came under discussion. Dr Samia said samples are preserved after collection and different parts of the body are separately preserved. She stressed that in high-profile cases, samples should not take an excessive amount of time to be examined because delays could create a risk of evidence being lost.
During the hearing, Justice Umar Sial expressed displeasure over an intervention by the Sindh advocate general during questions by lawyer Jibran Nasir. The judge said the commission should be allowed to ask questions and that its proceedings could not be conducted in such a manner.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the judicial commission summoned Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar, while proceedings were temporarily adjourned.
