Mir Raza Case Third IO Gets 10 Days to Report
Mir Raza case third IO DSP Fareed Ahmed Khan has 10 days to submit the challan and investigation report, after a Karachi court refused his request for a fortnight.
The Judicial Magistrate Karachi East gave the order on Tuesday, November 4. DSP Khan, appointed by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the case, told the court that more than 1,100 pages of case records had been obtained and were being reviewed.
He asked for two weeks to complete the investigation. The court granted 10 days instead, and directed him to file the complete report within that period.
Mir Raza case third IO: a long chain of investigators
DSP Khan is the third officer to handle the investigation. Inspector Shabbir Laghari was appointed first, and the case was then handed to DSP Siraj Lashari. The Express Tribune reported that the case failed to reach a conclusive stage under either officer.
A one-member judicial commission later examined the handling of the case. It raised several questions about the first officer’s performance, and, at the victim’s family request, recommended that the probe be handed to a JIT.
The Sindh government formed the JIT on October 24, with Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Irfan Ali Baloch as its head. Senior officers from the Inter-Services Intelligence, the Intelligence Bureau, Pakistan Rangers Sindh and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency were to be included in the team.
The JIT, however, failed to submit the challan or a progress report before the court within the stipulated time. The court then issued a show-cause notice to DIG Baloch on November 2, seeking an explanation for the delay.
DSP Khan’s appointment came through the JIT. His 10-day deadline now sets the next clear date in a case that has already missed earlier timelines.
What happened to Mir Raza
Mir Raza Ali owned the dessert shop Wafflix in Karachi. He went missing from his residence in the Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society (PECHS) in the early hours of July 28. His body was later found within the jurisdiction of Gulistan-e-Johar Police Station.
Police first treated the incident as a suicide. Raza’s family disputed that conclusion, and alleged that his body bore visible signs of torture. Those allegations remain allegations, and they have not been tested in a trial on the facts reported so far.
Concerns about the first post-mortem led to exhumation on August 8. A second medical examination, formally issued around August 31, found that Raza had died from a firearm injury entering from the back. That finding ruled out suicide, and raised serious questions about the circumstances of his death.
The judicial commission and its findings
The Sindh government constituted a judicial commission headed by Sindh High Court Judge Justice Omar Sial. Its report, submitted to the Sindh Chief Minister on October 15, concluded that Raza had been murdered and described the police investigation as an “epic failure”.
The commission pointed to reliance on unverified text messages and selectively obtained closed-circuit television footage. It also cited inconsistencies in medical reports, alleged mishandling and destruction of evidence, and irregularities in the constitution and replacement of the medical board.
Justice Sial raised concerns about the possible involvement or negligence of police and health department officials. He observed that the possibility of an initial cover-up could not be conclusively ruled out. The commission recommended further criminal and departmental proceedings against the officials concerned, alongside a fresh investigation through a JIT.
The government then moved to act on those recommendations. It formed the JIT on October 24, and set up a separate inquiry committee headed by Additional Inspector General of the Counter Terrorism Department Zulfiqar Ali Larik. That committee was tasked with examining the conduct of 13 police officers and personnel named in the commission’s report.
Disciplinary and administrative action was also started against several police officials. Inquiries were ordered into the role of health department officials and into irregularities in medico-legal procedures.
Why the 10-day order matters
The 10-day order matters because it replaces an open-ended wait with a fixed deadline, and because it comes from the court rather than from the investigating team itself. The court has already shown it will act when deadlines pass, as the November 2 show-cause notice to the JIT head showed.
For the family, the test will be simple. A challan filed on time, with a complete report, would move the case toward trial. Another missed deadline would deepen the loss of public confidence that the commission itself identified.
Earlier coverage here includes the JIT recommendations, the final hours timeline and the commission report on police failure.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the third investigation officer in the Mir Raza case?
DSP Fareed Ahmed Khan, appointed by the Joint Investigation Team, is the third officer to handle the probe, after Inspector Shabbir Laghari and DSP Siraj Lashari.
How long does he have to file the report?
The court gave him 10 days to submit the challan and the complete investigation report, after he had asked for a fortnight.
Why was a Joint Investigation Team formed?
A judicial commission headed by Justice Omar Sial recommended a fresh probe through a JIT, after finding serious shortcomings in the earlier police investigation.
What did the second post-mortem find?
The second examination, issued around August 31, found that Raza had died from a firearm injury entering from the back, which ruled out suicide.
What happens if the deadline is missed again?
The court has already issued a show-cause notice to the JIT head over an earlier missed deadline, so a further delay would likely draw a fresh court order.
