Karachi court halts Mir Raza Ali's exhumation amid medical board controversy

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Friday stayed the exhumation of late entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali’s body for a fresh autopsy until August 10 (Monday) after his parents objected to the newly reconstituted medical board.

Judicial Magistrate (East) Hameedullah issued the order on an application filed by the deceased’s father, Mir Hussain Ali, who raised objections to the formation of the new five-member medical board.

Through his lawyer, Mir Hussain Ali informed the court that the family would not consent to the exhumation under the supervision of the newly constituted board.

The lawyer said the government had issued multiple notifications regarding the board’s composition, including a third notification, which the family also rejected.

“The new medical board is unacceptable under any circumstances,” the counsel told the court, adding that the deceased’s parents had already recorded their statements before the investigating officer.

The lawyer further argued that repeated changes to the medical board were causing unnecessary delays in the exhumation process and questioned the reason behind issuing successive notifications. He said the family was directly seeking answers from the Sindh chief minister regarding the handling of the case.

Following the court’s order, members of the medical board and court staff left the cemetery without carrying out the exhumation.

Medical Board Reconstituted

Earlier, the medical board constituted to supervise the exhumation as part of the investigation into Mir Raza Ali’s death was reconstituted through a fresh government notification.

Mir Raza Ali: Father rejects exhumation by reconstituted medical board

The previously notified eight-member board was replaced with a five-member panel. All members, except Convener Dr. Summayya Syed, were changed.

According to the notification, Professor Dr. Zakiuddin, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Dow University of Health Sciences, has been appointed to the board. Dr. Qazi Akbar, Professor at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, has also been included, along with pathologist Dr. Abid Hussain Chang.

Mir Raza Ali, an Institute of Business Administration (IBA) graduate and entrepreneur, went missing after leaving his home on the night of July 28, telling his family he would return within 10 minutes. His body was later found in bushes in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.