Mir Raza exhumation halted over medical board row
The exhumation of Mir Ali Raza’s body has been postponed for Friday, his father’s lawyer Jibran Nasir said.
Nasir spoke to the media and raised serious concerns over the medical board formed for the case. He said a third notification regarding the medical board had been issued.
According to Nasir, the first and second medical boards were merged to form a new third board. However, he said the family does not accept the latest notification.
He said Mir Raza’s parents had already recorded their statements before the investigating officer.
Nasir said the family would not allow the exhumation to take place under the supervision of what he called a disputed medical board. He described the exhumation as a sensitive legal process.
He said the court had directed the police surgeon and police to take necessary action. A medical team was formed after the court’s directions.
However, Nasir alleged that the medical board was changed overnight. He said the sudden change had raised serious questions for the family.
He questioned why doctors from Karachi were not included in the new board. He also questioned the removal of doctors who had been part of the earlier medical board.
Nasir asked why a new board was formed without first withdrawing the previous notification. He also questioned why the new notification was issued during the night.
He questioned the role of the Director General Health in Hyderabad. He asked under which law the official became the supervising officer of the medical board.
Nasir also questioned how the orders of the Karachi police surgeon were superseded. He asked which order of the health secretary was referred to in the letter issued from Hyderabad.
He said the family would not accept any alternative arrangement. They would only recognize the previously constituted eight-member medical board.
Nasir also raised questions about the investigation into Mir Raza’s death. He said the investigating officer could not recover a bullet casing for eight days.
According to him, the casing was recovered only after the family approached the court. He questioned how important the casing could be without the recovery of the pistol allegedly used in the incident.
Nasir also alleged that the investigating officer had not properly inspected Mir Raza’s room.
He said the family had lost a young member and wanted the case to be investigated with complete seriousness. He stressed that an exhumation was not an ordinary procedure.
Meanwhile, preparations for the exhumation had been completed at the PECHS cemetery in Karachi. A police team had also reached the cemetery.
