The manager of the Bahadurabad branch of the restaurant where Mir Raza was employed testified before a judicial commission on Tuesday, asserting that Raza’s death was unlikely to be a suicide. He provided insights into Raza’s last days, salary delays, and the disappearance of his WhatsApp and social media accounts.

Shahryar Ali, also known as Sheeri, who has managed the Bahadurabad branch for two years, gave his statement before the commission led by Justice Omar Sial. Raza’s family members, including his parents and sister, were also present during the proceedings.

Ali explained that he reported directly to Mir Raza rather than Ahmed and was responsible for managing labor, work schedules, catering, and other branch operations. He revealed that salaries had been delayed by two months toward the end of Raza’s tenure. Ali himself had to cover his house rent and learned about salary payments through a WhatsApp group.

When asked if he noticed any behavioral changes in Raza due to financial issues, Ali responded that he observed no such changes. The commission inquired about the restaurant’s financial status, and Ali stated that sales were declining, dropping from approximately Rs100,000 daily to Rs75,000 in the final period.

Ali mentioned that after Raza’s death, he contacted Ahmed, who then ensured that the pending salaries were paid. He described Raza’s conduct towards colleagues as very good, noting he had never witnessed any disputes or financial transactions involving him.

Regarding Raza’s movements before his death, Ali said Raza, Ahmed, and Kazim traveled to Hyderabad on July 25 for catering work, with Raza returning to Karachi the following night. Initially, Ali denied lending money to Raza but later admitted that Raza had borrowed Rs30,000 from him on July 27 prior to leaving.

Ali observed that Raza’s WhatsApp account was deleted that same night and informed Ahmed and Razik about it. Razik later confirmed that not only WhatsApp but also Raza’s other social media accounts had been removed.

The commission asked if Ali had any knowledge about Raza’s Apple Watch being accessed or its data retrieved; he stated that no one had informed him about this matter.

Ali also recounted that Kazim notified him about the guard’s pistol missing from the locker. The guard typically arrived at 6 p.m. Initially, the restaurant’s CCTV footage was inaccessible on the DVR, prompting Ahmed to request Ali bring a technician from Liaquatabad to recover it.

The technician successfully retrieved a five-minute video showing Raza taking the guard’s pistol and leaving in his car. Ali handed this footage over to Ahmed. He added that he never received or reviewed the statement he had previously given to the police.

Regarding the investigation, Ali said he was summoned by the first investigative team on August 3, where he waited three hours before giving a statement lasting about an hour and a half. Investigators questioned him about his parents’ separation and his father’s second marriage.

The commission’s head questioned Ali about the WhatsApp group, to which Ali responded that the new investigative team led by Siraj Lashari took his phone on August 17.

When asked about the circumstances surrounding Raza’s death, Ali firmly stated that he believed Raza could not have taken his own life. He added that the restaurant staff learned the next day that Raza’s body had been taken to Jinnah Hospital, prompting all his friends to visit the hospital.