A medico-legal officer who conducted the first post-mortem examination of entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali told a judicial commission that he was summoned to the Chief Minister House on August 9 after initially being called to a police station.
Dr Osama initially did not acknowledge that he had been called to the Chief Minister House.
However, after Advocate Jibran Nasir, counsel for Ali’s family, questioned him about the matter, Dr Osama told the commission that he was initially called to a police station but, after asking for a written order, was subsequently directed to appear at the Chief Minister’s House.
Dr Osama said DIG East Farrukh Lanjhar had called him to the Chief Minister House, where SSP Samiullah Somroo was also present. He said he was asked to provide a timeline of the case.
The revelation came during Tuesday’s hearing of the one-man judicial commission headed by Sindh High Court Justice Omar Sial, which is investigating Ali’s death.
The commission also questioned Dr Osama about discrepancies between Ali’s initial and final post-mortem reports.
He said the final report was issued on August 11 following Ali’s exhumation and was prepared after chemical examination reports were received.
The commission noted that the two reports differed, including in handwriting, and questioned what had led to the changes.
It also asked whether Dr Osama had prepared both reports and whether a forensic examination should be conducted.
Dr Osama denied being pressured by anyone and said he had shared all relevant matters with Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya, who had raised no objection.
During the hearing, police official Muhammad Arif, who operates the Talaash device, said he saw Ali’s body in an ambulance but no fingerprints appeared on the device.
He said it appeared an attempt had been made to erase the fingerprints.
Arif also described changes in the colour of the fingers on Ali’s right hand and decomposition of those on his left.
He said he photographed the body and sent the images to the SHO and head constable.
The commission questioned the role of the head constable in handling photographs and the investigation, and noted that several people had reportedly observed marks on Ali’s body.
The commission summoned Ali’s business partners Ahmed and Abdullah, friends Haitham and Raziq, cab driver Ahsanullah, SDPO Shahrah-e-Faisal Arshad Afridi and Firozabad SHO Adeel Afzal for September 3.
Ali, an IBA graduate and entrepreneur, was found dead in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on July 29, a day after he went missing. His father has maintained that he was murdered. A subsequent post-mortem found that Ali had been shot in the back.
