Mayor of Karachi Murtaza Wahab has defended the Sindh government’s decision to form a judicial commission to review the investigation into the death of Mir Raza Ali, saying that the family had not objected to the probe’s findings but had opposed the formation of the commission.
Speaking about the family’s objections, Wahab said Ali’s family lawyer could hold “two or three press conferences a day”, but stressed that he understood the pain Mir’s mother was going through.
Wahab emphasised that the central issue was why the family was rejecting a judicial commission if its ultimate purpose was to ensure justice through the courts.
“At the end of the day, justice will be delivered through the courts, so why reject the formation of a judicial commission,” he asked
He stated that the commission will provide a judicial forum to examine the matter, adding that justice would ultimately be delivered through the courts.
He questioned why its formation should therefore be opposed.
Wahab also said concerns about the impartiality of the police could be raised before the judge overseeing the proceedings.
“If they feel the police are biased, they can tell the judge, and the judge can summon them,” he said.
The mayor’s comments came after Ali’s family moved the Sindh High Court on Monday against the provincial government’s decision to establish the judicial commission.
Ali, a 25-year-old Karachi-based businessman, was found dead with a gunshot wound last month.
His family, through lawyer Jibran Nasir, has sought the formation of a joint investigation team instead of the judicial commission.
The petition asks for an independent, multi-agency team comprising officers from the Sindh police, Rangers, Federal Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau, Inter-Services Intelligence and military intelligence.
The family has also sought a fresh investigation into Ali’s death and requested scrutiny of the conduct of police officers involved in the earlier investigation.
According to the petition, the previous investigation had raised serious concerns over how evidence was handled and how the circumstances surrounding Ali’s death were initially assessed.
The family has also challenged aspects of the earlier investigative process and sought independent inquiries into the conduct of officials involved.
The Sindh government’s decision to establish the judicial commission was implemented on August 24, with Justice Omar Sial nominated to head it, according to judicial correspondence cited in the petition.
