A judicial commission investigating the death of Mir Raza Ali has described the police investigation as an "epic failure", finding serious lapses ranging from negligence and poor supervision to a failure to preserve evidence and pursue the case professionally. The single-member commission, headed by Sindh High Court judge Justice Omar Sial, said police breached required procedures necessary to withstand judicial scrutiny and support a successful prosecution, according to the executive summary submitted to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on October 15.
The commission was constituted by the Sindh government to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of 25-year-old Mir Raza, assess the impartiality of police and medico-legal investigations, and identify any professional negligence, misconduct, manipulation of evidence, or cover-up. Mir Raza, an IBA graduate who ran a waffle-making business, left his PECHS home in the early hours of July 28.
His family reported him missing the same day, while his body was recovered the following morning within the jurisdiction of the Gulistan-e-Johar police station. In its assessment of police conduct, the commission found a lack of leadership, seriousness, and supervision, as well as negligence by senior officers in some instances.
"The handling of this case has been like a rudderless ship, not aware of its destination," the report observed. It described the investigation as ranging from "negligent to criminally negligent", as well as inexplicable, casual, and unprofessional.
Significantly, the commission said an active cover-up during the initial stages of the investigation could not be conclusively ruled out, while senior police officers had swept clear investigative lapses "under the carpet" instead of acknowledging or addressing them. The report also accused senior officers of "tunnel vision", saying they became so focused on a single objective that they failed to see the bigger picture.
It said police, driven by ego and a desire to avoid publicly admitting an error, doubled down on their initial suicide theory rather than investigating further. According to the commission, dozens of authorized and unauthorized police officers became involved in collecting evidence and approaching and interrogating crucial individuals, often without documenting their actions.
The result, it said, was that no officer was willing to take responsibility for the lapses, with responsibility instead shifted to subordinates or the shortcomings denied altogether. The commission further criticized police communication, saying neither the family nor the public was kept informed through official disclosures.
Police also failed to follow its recommendation to appoint a focal person, contributing to further public speculation. The report noted that police initially raised suicide as the cause of Mir Raza's death, but his family questioned the conclusion after observing what they said were visible torture marks.
Following concerns raised by the police surgeon over anomalies in the first post-mortem report, the body was exhumed on August 8. The final official report later confirmed the cause of death as a perforating firearm injury from the back, ruling out suicide.
Murder and destruction-of-evidence provisions were subsequently added to the FIR. The commission concluded that the police hypothesis had relied entirely on unconfirmed and unsubstantiated text messages and select evidence.
The judicial report has recommended strict departmental and legal action against all officials found responsible for professional misconduct, negligence, and mishandling of the high-profile case during the inquiry proceedings.