Heartbreak in Pattaya: Ceremony Set for Farewell to Russian Siblings

Sindh police have finally questioned Dr Usama, the medico-legal officer who conducted the first post-mortem examination of Karachi businessman Mir Raza, nearly 25 days after the initial report was prepared. Dr Usama had classified Mir Raza’s death as suicide in his original post-mortem report. The report later came under serious scrutiny after several alleged discrepancies were highlighted by Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed. Police initially defended the medico-legal officer’s findings. However, Dr Usama was later removed from his position following concerns over major errors in the post-mortem examination. Police have now formally included him in the investigation and questioned him for around five hours. The case concerns the death of young Karachi businessman Mir Raza Ali Khan, who went missing from the PECHS area on July 28. He reportedly left his home at around 4:09am in an online taxi. His body was recovered from Gulistan-e-Johar two days later. According to police officials, the body was found in a severely damaged condition. Mir Raza had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. His social media accounts were also reportedly deactivated one day before his body was found. Mir Raza’s father had said that his son was scheduled to get married on August 30 at Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He said Mir Raza had been excited about beginning a new chapter in his life. Questions were raised over the initial post-mortem report after several discrepancies were highlighted during a television programme on August 4. Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed and Mir Raza’s father both expressed dissatisfaction with the initial findings and called attention to issues surrounding the examination. Following a court order, Mir Raza’s grave was exhumed on August 8 for a second post-mortem examination. His body was reburied later the same day. The initial post-mortem findings reportedly stated that the bullet had entered from the back. The examination also documented signs of physical injuries and trauma. According to the report, Mir Raza had fractured ribs and multiple injuries to his head and face. Dark marks were also reportedly found on different parts of his body. The report further mentioned injuries to his feet and blood staining in tissues in the lower part of the body. A fracture and injury measuring around 12 centimetres were reportedly found on his right thigh. The initial examination also identified a deep injury and fracture around the jaw, along with injuries to the nasal bone and several areas of the face. The developments have intensified questions surrounding the circumstances of Mir Raza’s death and the accuracy of the first post-mortem report.

Polling has begun for the by-election in Sindh Assembly constituency PS-30 Khairpur. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Barrister Asfandyar Khan Kharral is contesting the election against seven independent candidates. The constituency has a total of 254,980 registered voters. The Election Commission has established 164 polling stations for the by-election. Officials have classified several polling stations as sensitive due to security concerns. A total of 64 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive. Another 68 polling stations have been classified as sensitive. Security arrangements have been strengthened at these locations. Around 2,500 police personnel have been deployed across the constituency. They have been assigned duties at polling stations and other important locations. Security personnel are also monitoring the polling process to prevent any untoward incident. Authorities have directed officials to ensure a peaceful environment for voters. The by-election was necessitated by the death of PPP MPA Naeem Kharral. His death left the PS-30 Khairpur seat vacant. The contest is being closely watched because the PPP candidate is facing multiple independent candidates. Voters in the constituency will decide who will represent them in the Sindh Assembly. Polling officials have been instructed to facilitate voters and ensure that the electoral process remains orderly. Security personnel will remain deployed throughout the polling process. Authorities have also taken measures to protect polling staff and voters.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced a nationwide strike on September 3, saying he will visit different cities to persuade traders to join the party’s ongoing protest movement. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the party would hold a major public gathering in Faisalabad on Friday, followed by another gathering in Lahore and then Peshawar. He said he would also meet industrialists and traders in Faisalabad to discuss their concerns and encourage them to participate in the movement. He announced that sit-ins would also begin in Quetta from the following day. Hafiz Naeem said the protests and sit-ins would continue until the government accepted the party’s demands. He added that consultations were under way over a possible call for a march towards Islamabad. The Jamaat chief said the party was not yet formally announcing a wheel-jam strike, but expressed the view that the September 3 strike could eventually turn into a complete shutdown. He strongly criticised prolonged power outages across the country and questioned who would be held responsible for the situation. He said ending load-shedding was among the key demands of the protest movement. He also demanded the withdrawal of fixed charges imposed on electricity bills and called for the immediate termination of agreements with independent power producers. Hafiz Naeem accused the government of burdening citizens with rising fuel and electricity costs. He said gas shortages had also reached alarming levels, despite consumers paying high prices for the commodity. Criticising the government’s taxation policies, he alleged that authorities were focused on collecting taxes while businesses were being pushed towards closure. He accused government officials of enjoying expensive facilities at the expense of ordinary citizens. The Jamaat chief warned that if the levy and so-called “bhatta tax” were not withdrawn, no one would be able to stop a mass public movement. He further alleged that the government had been formed through what he described as a “Form 47” mandate and claimed that the party’s protests had exposed irregularities involving diesel pricing. According to Hafiz Naeem, additional refinery charges were being imposed on locally produced diesel, further increasing the burden on consumers and businesses. He also raised questions over the deaths of 14 children in the fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), demanding accountability over the incident and criticising the hospital’s administration. The Jamaat chief also accused the country’s three major political parties of engaging in what he described as a political “noora kushti”, alleging that they were creating the appearance of confrontation while avoiding substantive action. Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its campaign until its demands were addressed and urged traders, industrialists and citizens to join the protest movement.