Dar urges SCO action against Afghan terrorism

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed has expressed deep concern over developments in the Mir Raza Ali case, saying she has never felt so helpless during her four-year tenure as Karachi’s police surgeon and head of medico-legal services. In a post on social media platform X, Dr Summaiya said she had frequently faced obstacles while trying to establish the truth and ensure justice. However, she said the situation surrounding the Mir Raza case had left her extremely exhausted. “During my four-year tenure as Karachi’s medico-legal services/police surgeon, I have never felt this helpless,” she said. Dr Summaiya added that although difficulties had often come her way in the pursuit of truth and justice, she had now reached a point of extreme exhaustion. The police surgeon had earlier written a letter to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East regarding the Mir Raza Ali case. In the letter, she pointed out what she described as serious shortcomings in the post-mortem report prepared by Dr Usama Sheikh. Her concerns have raised questions about the findings recorded in the post-mortem report and the medico-legal procedures followed in the case. The matter has consequently drawn attention to the importance of accurate documentation and proper medical examination in sensitive cases. Dr Summaiya’s latest remarks indicate her continued concern over the handling of the case. Her public statement has also highlighted the difficulties she says she has encountered while carrying out her professional responsibilities and seeking truth and justice.

Security forces have killed four terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in the mountainous area along the Ziarat-Harnai border in Balochistan, according to security sources. The operation was launched after intelligence reports indicated the presence of suspected terrorists in the remote mountainous region between Ziarat and Harnai. During surveillance, security personnel reportedly confirmed the presence of three to four terrorists inside an abandoned house in the area. Following confirmation of their presence, security forces surrounded the suspected hideout and carried out an effective operation against the militants, the sources said. Four terrorists were confirmed killed during the action, according to security officials. A search and sanitisation operation is continuing in the surrounding area to locate any remaining threats and ensure that the region has been cleared. Security forces are also maintaining heightened surveillance and continuing operations against militant elements in the area as part of ongoing efforts to prevent terrorist activity in Balochistan.

MULTAN: In a significant development in a cryptocurrency fraud case, the Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench has granted interim bail to Hammad Ali and other co-petitioners, observing that the prosecution has, at this stage, failed to produce sufficient material linking them to the alleged electronic fraud or the freezing of the complainant’s cryptocurrency accounts. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh issued the detailed 15-page judgment while hearing the interim bail petitions, emphasizing that the investigation remains underway and that the available record does not disclose prima facie evidence of cheating, fraud, or forgery against the petitioners. According to the judgment, the allegations contained in the First Information Report (FIR) do not appear, at first glance, to establish the offences alleged against the accused. The court noted that no evidence had been placed on record demonstrating the petitioners’ involvement in electronic fraud or showing that they played any role in freezing the complainant’s cryptocurrency accounts. The court further observed that it is the responsibility of the investigating officer to independently examine the role of each individual account holder before reaching any conclusion regarding criminal liability. The judgment stressed that investigations must be conducted impartially and based on verifiable evidence rather than assumptions. Justice Sheikh also noted that the petitioners had already provided the investigating officer with the records requested during the course of the investigation. The investigating officer, the court said, remains free to obtain additional documents from relevant financial institutions or other authorities if further verification is required. The judgment also outlines the complainant’s version of events. According to court records, the complainant initially invested Rs5 million in cryptocurrency. He claimed that a subsequent crash in the cryptocurrency market caused him heavy financial losses. The complainant further alleged that, in an effort to recover those losses, he sold household belongings, his vehicle, and gold jewellery to make additional investments in cryptocurrency. He later claimed that his cryptocurrency accounts were frozen, preventing him from accessing his digital assets. According to the FIR, the complainant then began withdrawing funds through the cryptocurrency accounts of friends. He alleged that the accused obtained cryptocurrency through bank accounts but failed to return the corresponding amount owed to him. After reviewing the available material, the Lahore High Court concluded that there was currently insufficient prima facie evidence directly implicating the petitioners in the alleged offences. On that basis, the court allowed their interim bail petitions while making it clear that the investigation would continue in accordance with the law. The ruling highlights the judiciary’s emphasis on evidence-based investigations in complex financial and cryptocurrency-related disputes, while leaving the final determination of criminal responsibility to the outcome of the ongoing investigation.