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A new investigation committee will hold an important meeting today to review the Mir Raza Ali murder case. The meeting will be chaired by DIG Aamir Farooqi. The committee will conduct a fresh and impartial investigation into the case. It will examine all aspects of the incident. Investigators will identify and collect any new evidence linked to the case. The evidence will be properly preserved and examined. Physical, technical, circumstantial and forensic evidence will also be reviewed. The committee will closely examine the victim’s injuries and clothes. It will also compare the two conflicting post-mortem reports. Investigators have been directed to take all possible steps to reach a conclusion. The team will submit its findings to the relevant court within the given timeframe. Daily progress reports will also be prepared. Additional officers may be included in the investigation if required. The committee will also record statements from members of the medical board involved in the first post-mortem. Doctors and experts who conducted the first post-mortem are expected to be questioned. They may also be given a detailed questionnaire. Investigators will try to determine the evidence behind the first post-mortem findings. The report had stated that the bullet entered through the chest and exited through the back. The team will also examine how forensic evidence was documented and preserved during the initial investigation. The second post-mortem report gave a different assessment of the bullet’s direction. Investigators will therefore compare both reports in detail. They will also examine the injuries, clothing and other forensic material. Meanwhile, investigators have obtained details about Mir Raza Ali’s movements on the night of July 28. Details of his final phone calls and messages have also been collected. According to the investigation, Mir Raza spoke to two people through three phone calls that night. He reportedly spoke to a person named Ali at 2:13am and again at 2:16am. His final call was answered by his friend Abdullah. The two spoke for more than three minutes.

Army captain martyred, seven militants killed in Hangu operation A Pakistan Army captain was martyred during an intelligence-based operation in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while security forces killed seven militants, according to the military’s media wing. The operation was carried out on August 7 after security agencies received information about the presence of militants in the area. Security forces launched the raid after confirming the reported militant presence. Troops engaged the militants at their hideout. Seven militants were killed during the exchange of fire. Captain Hamza Akram, 27, was also martyred during the operation. He belonged to Narowal district. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Captain Hamza was leading his troops from the front. He continued pursuing the militants during the firefight and lost his life while performing his duty. Security forces recovered weapons and ammunition from the militants’ possession. The military said the killed militants were involved in attacks against security personnel and law enforcement agencies. They were also linked to attacks targeting civilians. A clearance operation was launched after the main engagement. Security personnel searched the surrounding area to ensure that no militants remained there. Three militants killed in Mastung operation In a separate operation in Balochistan, security forces killed three militants in Mastung district. The operation was conducted in the Kambela and Asimabad areas as part of Operation Rad-ul-Fitna-3. Security forces carried out an extensive search and clearance operation across an area of around 68 square kilometres. Three militants were killed during the operation. The bodies of two of the militants were recovered. Four other militants were injured, including a key commander identified as Shaukat Mama, according to security sources. Security personnel also detained 12 suspects for questioning during the operation. Militant hideouts were dismantled during the clearance activity. Security forces also removed flags associated with the militant group from the cleared areas. The latest operations come amid continued security challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Both provinces have witnessed a significant number of militant attacks in recent years. Security forces have intensified intelligence-based operations to target militant networks, their hideouts and support structures.

Adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that those counting down the government’s tenure will eventually be “set straight” themselves, and their countdown will also be corrected. Addressing a public gathering in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sanaullah said the people were the rightful owners of Pakistan and highlighted the strong bond between Pakistan and Kashmir. “Where in Pakistan are Kashmiris not working?” he asked, adding that Kashmiris enjoy all rights in the country. Sanaullah said Pakistan was incomplete without Kashmir and stressed that no force could weaken the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader also claimed that four PML-N candidates would be elected to the legislative assembly in the upcoming election, which is scheduled to take place in two days. He said the PML-N needed only six more seats to secure a two-thirds majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Referring to the ongoing political activities and the action committee, Sanaullah said many people associated with the committee were their “brothers” and patriotic citizens. His remarks came as political parties intensified campaigning ahead of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, with competing groups seeking to secure a strong mandate in the upcoming polls.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has welcomed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, describing it as a historic development that will further strengthen Pakistan’s defence capabilities. In a statement issued on Saturday, Bilawal said the agreement marked an important moment in Pakistan’s history and carried significance beyond the defence cooperation of the three participating countries. He said the pact would contribute to a stable and secure future for Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye while also supporting broader efforts for peace and stability in the region and around the world. Bilawal praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in facilitating the agreement. He described their contribution to the agreement as commendable and said the pact represented an important step toward strengthening collective security and defence cooperation among the three countries. The agreement was signed in Makkah by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, amid heightened regional tensions and growing concerns over security and stability in the Middle East. The three countries have described the agreement as a defensive arrangement aimed at enhancing cooperation and deterrence, with an attack against one member to be treated as an attack against all. Bilawal’s remarks underline the PPP’s support for the agreement and its potential role in strengthening Pakistan’s strategic and defence partnerships while promoting regional stability.

KARACHI: An initial medical report has reportedly indicated that businessman Mir Raza Ali sustained a gunshot wound from behind, while several signs of physical violence were also found on his body following his exhumation for a fresh post-mortem examination. According to investigation sources, the preliminary report has addressed all 14 questions raised by police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed during the medical examination. The findings reportedly include a gunshot injury to the rear of the body, fractured ribs and multiple injuries to Ali’s head and face. The report also noted marks of violence on different parts of the deceased’s body. However, investigators have yet to officially receive the medical findings. SSP SIU Samiullah Somroo, who is leading the police investigation, said the investigation team had not been informed about the report or its findings. The exhumation process lasted around three hours and was conducted under the supervision of forensic experts. During the procedure, 17 samples were collected from the body for further examination. Four samples were preserved for DNA testing, while the remaining samples were collected for chemical analysis. Two additional reference samples were obtained from Ali’s parents to assist with DNA matching. Investigators said the collected samples have been preserved and will be submitted to the forensic laboratory at the University of Karachi on Monday. The chemical and DNA examination reports are expected to be available within three to four days. Ali’s body was exhumed earlier as part of efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. After the medical examination was completed, his remains were reburied at a graveyard near Tariq Road. Ali, an IBA graduate and businessman, had returned home from his shop on the night of July 28. He later left the house again, telling his family that he would return within 10 minutes. He did not return, and his body was subsequently recovered from Gulistan-e-Jauhar. His father, Mir Hussain, has maintained that his son was murdered and rejected suggestions that he died by suicide. During the latest proceedings, members of the medical board collected various samples from Ali’s grave as part of the renewed examination. His family members and their lawyer, Jibran Nasir, were present at the graveyard, while a heavy police contingent was deployed to maintain security. The authorities had restored the original eight-member medical board responsible for supervising the exhumation after the family objected to the replacement of the panel with a five-member board. The disagreement had earlier prevented officials from carrying out the scheduled exhumation. Mir Hussain later said he was satisfied with the latest proceedings. He expressed hope that the fresh examination would provide clarity about what happened to his son. The family has also alleged that a fake audio recording attributed to Ali was circulated in an attempt to influence the case and create confusion around the circumstances of his death. The family’s lawyer had earlier raised concerns about changes to the medical board and questioned the decision to replace the original panel. He later said the family was satisfied with the renewed proceedings, which were conducted in the presence of the judicial magistrate, investigation officer and members of the medical team.