PTI to refile contempt petition today

KARACHI: Fresh forensic findings in the death of businessman Mir Raza Ali have raised further questions over the circumstances surrounding his death, with sources saying acid traces were detected in his stomach, lungs and on parts of his body. According to sources familiar with the investigation, severe acid-related damage was found in Ali’s lungs, while traces were also detected on his hands and feet. His clothing reportedly contained acid traces as well as sweat believed to belong to another person. The investigation took another turn after police sealed a guesthouse near the location where Ali’s body was discovered. Six people working at the guesthouse were taken into custody for questioning, bringing the total number of detained individuals in the case to 21. Their statements have also been recorded as investigators attempt to establish what happened before Ali’s death. The latest developments came a day after Ali’s body was exhumed and examined by a medical board before being reburied. The second post-mortem reportedly found a gunshot wound entering from the back, along with multiple signs of physical violence. The medical examination also revealed fractured ribs and several injuries to Ali’s head and face, adding to concerns surrounding the circumstances of his death. Ali, an IBA graduate and businessman, was found dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area last month after he went missing on July 28. His father rejected suggestions that his son had died by suicide and maintained that he had been murdered. Meanwhile, Ali’s parents have opposed the proposed formation of a judicial commission, saying the police should be allowed to continue their investigation. Family lawyer Jibran Nasir said the parents had conveyed their decision in writing to the Karachi mayor, Sindh interior minister and additional inspector general. Nasir said the family currently saw no need for a judicial commission and wanted the police investigation to proceed according to law. The Sindh government had earlier announced plans to establish a judicial commission headed by high court judges. Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar said the decision was taken following consultations with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, describing the commission as necessary to investigate the case. Separately, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has approached the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency over social media allegations linking him and his son, Rawal Memon, to Ali’s death. Through his lawyer, Memon submitted a complaint to the NCCIA Karachi Zone, accusing certain social media accounts of spreading what he termed false, fabricated and malicious claims. The complaint alleges that social media posts linked a guesthouse near the crime scene to Memon and claimed that his son travelled to London shortly after the incident. Rawal Memon, who is currently in London, rejected the allegations and described them as an organised smear campaign. The complaint further alleged that online posts questioned the medical investigation and accused Memon and his political party of shielding individuals allegedly connected to Ali’s death. With forensic findings, multiple detentions and competing calls for a judicial inquiry now surrounding the case, investigators face mounting pressure to determine how Mir Raza Ali died and identify those responsible.