Dr Summaiya Syed, the police surgeon involved in the investigation into businessman Mir Raza Ali’s death, informed a judicial commission on Monday that she had been threatened and tailed by men on motorcycles for two consecutive days. Mir Raza Ali, an IBA graduate and businessman, was discovered dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area a day after he disappeared on July 28. His father has consistently asserted that his son’s death was a homicide, rejecting claims of suicide.

At the start of the hearing, Dr Syed revealed she had been pressured with promises of leniency if she classified Ali’s death as a suicide. She disclosed filing a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) regarding these threats. Furthermore, she mentioned that a public campaign was being waged against her, emphasizing that she had risked her professional career by standing firm on the case. Expressing concern, she noted her primary worry was for her family’s safety rather than her own.

Justice Omar Sial, who leads the commission, inquired if she required security protection. Dr Syed declined police security as well as an offer for Rangers’ protection. Justice Sial expressed strong disapproval of the threats, instructing the commission’s focal person to notify Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar that such intimidation was unacceptable.

In her detailed statement, Dr Syed described several injuries on Ali’s body inconsistent with suicide. These included a head injury, a broken nasal bone, and signs of impact from a hard object to the back of the head, all sustained while Ali was alive. She pointed out that the decomposition pattern of Ali’s face differed from the rest of his body. Chemical burns were present on his hands and feet, and hydrochloric acid was detected on his shirt. Additionally, she corrected an earlier misidentification of a chest wound as a bullet entry point, clarifying that the bullet had actually entered from the back, pierced the heart, and exited the body. This was confirmed by forensic reports.

Dr Syed remarked that this was the first time in her career she had encountered a case involving chemical torture. She also stated that Ali had been under anesthesia at the time he was shot.

During the previous hearing on September 10, Sindh’s home minister issued an unconditional apology to the commission for the conduct of Advocate General Javad Dero, whose earlier intervention had led to suspension of proceedings. The commission had ordered a notice to be issued to Home Minister Lanjar following this incident. Justice Sial criticized the advocate general’s disrespectful behavior, stating it undermined public confidence and added tension to the case. He emphasized that Lanjar’s summons aimed to restore trust in the investigation and questioned whether the Sindh government’s objectives aligned with the commission’s fact-finding mission. Lanjar assured the commission that the provincial government was committed to ensuring justice and peace in Sindh and had established the commission to rebuild public confidence.