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  A Karachi Additional District and Sessions Court has granted interim bail to Abdullah, the brother of the business partner of young trader Mir Raza Ali, in connection with the businessman’s murder case. The court approved Abdullah’s interim pre-arrest bail until September 1, providing him temporary protection from arrest while the investigation into the case continues. Abdullah had approached the court seeking bail before arrest after being allegedly linked to the investigation surrounding Mir Raza Ali’s death. During the hearing, the court also issued notices to the investigating officer and the complainant in the case. The judge directed the applicant to submit surety bonds worth Rs100,000 as part of the conditions attached to the interim bail. According to Abdullah’s lawyer, there was no basis for treating his client as a suspect in the murder. The lawyer informed the court that Abdullah had a business-related connection with Mir Raza and used to supply chocolates to him. The defence further explained that Abdullah had spoken to Mir Raza by telephone on the night when the young trader left his home. According to the lawyer, the phone conversation took place at around 3:30am. The lawyer argued that the late-night phone call should be viewed in the context of their regular business dealings rather than being treated as evidence of involvement in the alleged crime. The defence also accused the police of harassing Abdullah during the investigation. His lawyer told the court that law-enforcement officials were repeatedly troubling the applicant despite the absence of any established evidence connecting him directly to the murder. The lawyer maintained that communication between Abdullah and Mir Raza at around the same time was not unusual. He explained that after completing his work, Mir Raza would generally speak with the applicant around that time. The defence therefore requested the court to provide Abdullah with protection from arrest while the authorities continued investigating the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza Ali’s death. After hearing the arguments, the court granted interim bail until September 1 and directed the relevant parties, including the investigating officer and complainant, to respond to the bail application. The applicant was also ordered to submit the required surety bonds. The court’s decision does not amount to a final determination regarding Abdullah’s involvement in the case. The interim bail merely prevents his immediate arrest while the matter is considered further by the court. The murder investigation remains ongoing, and the police are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza’s death, including his final movements, communications and interactions with people connected to him. The late-night telephone conversation between Mir Raza and Abdullah is among the details that investigators may consider while establishing a timeline of events. However, the defence has maintained that the conversation was consistent with their normal business-related communication. The case has attracted attention because of the young trader’s death and the subsequent investigation into people associated with him. Abdullah’s decision to seek pre-arrest bail indicates that he feared possible arrest during the investigation. The court’s issuance of notices to the investigating officer and complainant means that the prosecution and police will have an opportunity to present their position regarding the allegations and the bail request. For now, Abdullah remains protected by the interim bail order until September 1, subject to the conditions imposed by the court. Further proceedings are expected to determine the next legal steps in the case and whether the investigating authorities have sufficient evidence to proceed against him.

Karachi: While addressing ABAD — the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan — on Wednesday, Inspector General Sindh Mr. Javed Alam Odho once again reaffirmed the commitment to resolve the Mir Raza murder case on merit and without pressure. He admitted mistakes had been made by the police department, but reassured that all measures would be taken to correct them. He also claimed that the crime rate in Karachi had dropped by 14 percent. He also urged for reforms and need of more professional training in Medico-legal system of police. But all those numbers and all those assurances fall flat in the face of one unresolved case. The fact that a builders’ association felt compelled to raise the Mir Raza issue speaks volumes. It is not ABAD’s mandate, yet its leaders did it anyway — because the mistrust between citizens and Karachi Police has grown too deep to ignore. That mistrust exists not because of a lack of competent leadership at the top, but because subordinate SSPs failed to deliver where it mattered most. A Meeting That Set the Standard  I saw this gap first-hand in my initial meeting with DIG East, Dr. Farrukh Ali Lanjhar. He came across as accessible, direct, and willing to listen — the kind of officer who says, “call me when you need me.” When I requested time from DIG East Dr. Farrukh Lanjhar for an interview, I expected a formal reply or a future date. Instead, he politely asked me to walk into his office and join him for a cup of tea. I was pleasantly surprised by the cordiality. I walked in expecting bureaucracy. What I found was courtesy, and a senior officer who was ready to resolve the issue of a female journalist without making her feel like a petitioner. Does the Police Force Lack Role Models?  The meeting was also a wake-up call. At the ASP/SP level, many officers still treat citizens as subjects of a colony and themselves as masters, not servants. I often wonder what fuels this snobbery and arrogance. Is it clearing the CSS? But given our quota system and an exam that has been reduced to testing memory and English rather than intellect or judgment, that in itself is no great achievement. If it were, every government department would be running like a multinational — either making huge profit or excelling in service delivery. Is it the training we inherited from the British Raj, designed to produce a ruling elite? Or is it the culture of imitating seniors who remain inaccessible and aloof? Yet we do have exceptions. DIG East Dr. Farrukh Lanjhar, DIG Traffic Pir Mohammad Shah, DIG CTD Capt. (R) Azfar Mahesar, DIG RRF Usman Ghani Siddiqui, DIG Amir Farooqui, SSP Qamar Jiskani, SSP Saud Magsi, SSP Zeeshan Siddiqui, and above all IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho. Within the same flawed system that all of us are part of, they choose to serve as public servants. The impression they leave is exactly what I witnessed the other day. Can’t they be role models? Because the legacy you leave either lives on or haunts you. We still remember good officers long after they retire, like former ADIG Hyderabad Range, Dr. Jameel. AIG Ameer Sheikh will be spoken of in those terms. Ten years from now, who else will be remembered with the same respect? There were many who were pharaohs of their time, but no one now remembers them with respect after they leave office. A Glimpse of Reforms in East  During our discussion, Mr. Lanjhar also spoke about the reforms he has pushed in East Zone. He said more than 1,000 personnel have been pulled out of desk pools and deployed in the field where they are actually needed. To enforce accountability, he has introduced biometric attendance to eliminate ghost employees. The zone is also moving toward an advanced facial recognition system to ensure that no one can mark false attendance and every officer on the roster is truly on duty. The Mir Raza Murder Case  When asked to comment on the Mir Raza murder case, which falls under his jurisdiction, he responded softly: “A new committee has been constituted,” he said, “and I do not wish to comment before its findings are made public.” However, he assured that he would address all queries once the committee submits its report. As we wrapped up a meeting that ran longer than expected, Dr. Farrukh Lanjhar spoke openly — about the shortcomings of the media, about his personal experiences across different districts and roles, and about the reforms needed to make police more public-friendly. Especially Thana culture, which he called the main “interface” of the police force. Before I left, he said simply: “Don’t you worry, Madam. We will remain in touch. You can call me whenever and wherever needed to resolve your issue.” It left me thinking. Often, just listening with patience to the complaint of the aggrieved party can bring down the temperature of frustration and distrust toward police. That is exactly what was missing in the initial handling of the Mir Raza murder case. The first inquiry committee, in which SSP East Zubair Sheikh was allegedly accused of incompetence and of pushing a suicide theory (by the family), failed on that count. He did not take into account the point of view of the victim’s parents. Neither he nor SSP SIU Samiullah Soomro were able to convey to the grieving family that the police were with them, and that they would do everything to ensure they got the justice they deserved. It was that simple. Had SSP East, Zubair Sheikh, treated it with the same seriousness that DIG East showed toward my complaint — on a far smaller scale — perhaps IG Sindh, Javed Alam Odho would not have had to stand before the media and accept mistakes on behalf of his force. That is why we have a full hierarchy in place. If every SSP did his job, including answering the