Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed on Monday said she faced “threats” after disputing the findings of the first post-mortem in the murder case of young businessman Mir Raza Ali.
asserted
she → say → Ali
She made the comments during her testimony before a judicial commission tasked with probing the circumstances of and possible negligence around the murder case.
asserted
She → make → case
The one-member panel, headed by Sindh High Court’s Justice Omar Sial, has been holding regular hearings.
asserted
panel → head → hearings
The 25-year-old victim’s family is convinced that their son was tortured and murdered, and has accused police of trying to bury the facts, as law enforcers initially tried to build the case around the possibility of suicide.
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enforcers → convince → suicide
Appearing before the commission on Monday, Dr Syed said she put her career at stake for this case.
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she → appear → case
“I was followed by a motorcycle for two days.
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I → follow → days
I was also given threats,” she said.
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she → give → threats
The murder case has been mired in controversy, particularly after Dr Syed pointed out flaws in the findings of Ali’s first autopsy.
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Syed → mire → autopsy
The case goes back to July 29, when Ali’s body was found in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar with a gunshot wound, a day after he went missing.
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he → go → wound
In early August, Dr Syed pointed out inconsistencies between the first medico-legal report prepared by MLO Dr Osama Sheikh and the available photographs.
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Syed → point → Sheikh
Following that, Ali’s body was exhumed on his family’s request and a second post-mortem was conducted.
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mortem → follow → request
That examination — conducted by a medical board that Dr Syed was a part of — revealed that Ali sustained multiple injuries before his death and ruled out suicide.
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Ali → conduct → suicide
During Monday’s proceedings, Dr Syed said that when she approached a police officer to point out loopholes in the first autopsy report, she was told that the police would be lenient during “interrogation” if she did not oppose the findings hinting at suicide.
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she → say → suicide
However, she was not called for an interrogation, the police surgeon added.
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surgeon → call → interrogation
Dr Syed said a “public campaign” was being waged against her and her family members’ information was being shared online, adding that she had filed a complaint before the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
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she → say → Agency
She further said that Ali’s murder case was a “test case” for her.
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case → say → her
“I would do the same if I have to in another case,” she declared.
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she → do → case
At this, Justice Sial asked the police surgeon whether she wanted Rangers personnel deployed for her security, which she refused.
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she → ask → which
Justice Sial ordered the chief minister’s focal person to apprise CM Murad Ali Shah of the police surgeon’s statements.
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Sial → order → statements
The written order for Monday’s hearing, seen by Dawn, narrated that when the commission asked Dr Syed “whether she was targeted for intimidation after she resisted the findings of the first post-mortem report Dr Osama submitted in the case, she said she had been”.
“She narrated one incident of intimidation by two motorcyclists when she was going home, and the threatening manner in which she was treated by DIG Amir Farooqi, who also attempted to influence her findings.
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who → write → findings
She, however, declined police security,” the order read.
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order → decline → security
The commission requested the Home Department’s additional secretary to bring Dr Syed’s complaints to the notice of CM Murad and Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar.
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commission → request → Murad
The panel also requested the Sindh police chief to “ensure Dr Syed’s safety”.
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panel → request → safety
Directing that a copy of the order be sent to DIG Farooqi and the police chief, Justice Sial said the DIG “will be given an opportunity to address the situation when he appears before the commission”.
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he → direct → commission
“Dr Syed has also complained that a person named Imtiaz Chandio is defaming her and disseminating her family and residential address details to the public.
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person → complain → public
She has put on record the requisite snapshots/details,” the order further said, adding that a complaint has been lodged with the NCCIA over it.
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complaint → put → it
“As an important witness in this case, she appears to have been targeted for intimidation; the NCCIA is requested to look into the matter expeditiously,” Justice Sial wrote.
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Sial → appear → matter
The order also noted the complaints of Ali’s business partner Muhammad Ahmed Bhardey that he “had much more to tell the Commission than he was ‘allowed’ to”.
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he → note → Commission
Recalling that Bhardey was given two hours and 15 minutes, the judge said he was permitted to add to his earlier statement.
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he → recall → statement
The judge also ordered Bhardey to explain the conduct of his legal counsel who “attempted to scandalise the commission and its proceedings in the interviews aired”.
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proceedings → order → interviews
The business partner was summoned for further statement on September 17 (Thursday).
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partner → summon → September
Advocate Jibran Nasir, the counsel representing the victim’s family, “filed a voluntary disclosure, which has been taken on record”, according to the order.
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which → represent → order
“I have reviewed it and found no conflict,” Justice Sial noted.
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Sial → review → conflict
Investigating Officer (IO) Siraj Lashari filed a “report regarding his visit to Bykea and the landlord”, the order said, adding that the IO’s request for additional time to submit a final report was approved.
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request → file → report
The commission summoned Crime Investigation Agency’s (CIA) Inspector Muhammad Ali for the next hearing at 11am on Tuesday, along with the “record of CIA regarding incoming and outgoing letters”.
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commission → summon → letters
The panel was informed that Muhammad Ahsan Anees Shamsi, who has a 30 per cent partnership in the victim’s eatery Wafflix and was issued a notice earlier, was in Russia and could be reached on WhatsApp/Zoom.
uncertain
who → inform → Zoom
Justice Sial also directed that Usman Buzai, whose name Bhardey had disclosed before the commission in connection with Ali’s business, be asked to appear via video link, or upon his return from Gujranwala.
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Bhardey → direct → Gujranwala
At the outset of today’s hearing, Dr Syed detailed the timeline of her communication in early August with law enforcers, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samiullah Soomro, wherein she suggested exhumation of Ali’s body for the second autopsy.
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she → detail → autopsy
Dr Syed noted that members of a medical board are chosen based on their expertise.
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members → note → expertise
She added that 263 photographs were taken during Ali’s second post-mortem examination.
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photographs → add → examination
…and 58 more, not listed.
The Aporia
