KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has constituted a judicial commission to investigate the murder of Mir Raza, appointing Justice Umar Sial as its head.
The Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court has issued a notification formally appointing Justice Umar Sial to lead the commission. The High Court’s directorate has also informed the Sindh Home Department about the commission’s formation.
The development came during a hearing on a petition filed by Mir Raza’s parents challenging the judicial commission constituted in connection with the murder case. The petition was heard in the chamber of Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, where the applicants’ counsel, Jibran Nasir, briefed the court on the proceedings.
According to Nasir, the court has restrained the judicial commission from submitting its final report until a decision is reached in the petition. The court has also sought the commission’s terms of reference and rules of procedure.
The lawyer said the court had further sought a report regarding police officers allegedly responsible for negligence and dereliction of duty during the investigation.
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Speaking to the media outside the High Court earlier, Nasir expressed concerns over the progress of the investigation and the alleged failure of authorities to properly preserve evidence in the case.
He said serious doubts had surrounded the investigation from its outset, particularly regarding geofencing data and the recovery of CCTV footage.
Nasir maintained that a judicial commission could only present its findings and that the actual investigation should be conducted by the relevant law-enforcement agencies. He questioned why important evidence was allegedly lost during the initial stages of the investigation and why action had not been taken against officials responsible for the alleged negligence.
The court’s proceedings are expected to determine the scope of the judicial commission and address concerns raised by the victim’s family regarding the investigation.
