Mir Raza case: Karachi police surgeon raises objections over post-mortem report

A police surgeon in Karachi has identified 14 alleged flaws in the post-mortem examination of Mir Raza Ali and has recommended that the body be re-examined, according to a letter sent to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East.

The police surgeon said in a letter that several key forensic procedures were not carried out during the body examination.

The letter states that no X-rays of the deceased’s body were taken, hand swabs were not collected for gunshot residue testing, and no samples were obtained from the gunshot wound for chemical analysis.

It also alleges in the letter that the scalp was not removed to examine the skull, while a measuring scale was not used to document firearm injuries.

The police surgeon further said that adequate photographs of the body at the crime scene were not taken and that the recorded positions of the gunshot wounds were not described accurately in relation to bone marks.

The letter also points that the entry wound was recorded as being larger than the exit wound. It adds that the post-mortem report did not describe tears in the clothing or the direction of fabric fibers.

The police surgeon also stated in the letter to the SSP East that forensic-standard photographs of the injuries were not available, while the report did not fully document the extent of decomposition in different parts of the body.

The letter also says that no DNA sample was collected despite the face reportedly being unrecognizable.

The surgeon further stated that an internal examination of Mir Raza’s neck was not conducted, raising concerns that potentially important forensic evidence may have been overlooked.

The letter recommends that the body be examined again to address the identified shortcomings.