Rocket Barrage from Cambodia Kills Thai Civilian, Draws Official Condemnation

Police have stepped up investigations into the abduction and murder of 25-year-old businessman Mir Ali Raza, whose body was found in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar after he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Investigators are pursuing multiple leads and examining digital evidence as they work to identify those responsible for the killing. According to the investigation, Raza returned home from his business on the night of July 28. A short while later, he left again after telling his family that he would return within 10 minutes. When he failed to come back, his family became concerned and later reported the matter to the police. CCTV footage collected by investigators shows a white vehicle arriving outside Raza’s residence at around 4am. The footage allegedly shows the businessman getting into the rear seat of the vehicle before it drove away. Police are trying to trace the vehicle and identify everyone who was inside at the time. The businessman’s body was later recovered from bushes in Block 1 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar. A preliminary investigation found that he had been subjected to torture before being shot once in the chest. Officials also clarified that rumours claiming acid had been used were incorrect. They said the condition of the body resulted from decomposition after it had remained at the location for more than 30 hours. Investigators discovered that before his disappearance, Raza had booked an online taxi and travelled to the kitchen facility used for his dessert business in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The taxi driver confirmed dropping him off at the location. Police believe the kidnapping and murder occurred after he left the premises. One of the biggest challenges in the investigation is the disappearance of the victim’s mobile phone. Police have requested technical assistance from telecom authorities to obtain his call records, location history and other digital data. Investigators are also examining the people he had recently contacted to determine whether any connection exists between those communications and the crime. Authorities are also investigating the sudden deactivation of Raza’s social media accounts shortly before his body was discovered. Investigators are trying to establish whether the accounts were deactivated by the businessman himself or by someone who gained access to his phone after the incident. Police have questioned employees working at the kitchen on the night of the incident, along with staff members employed at his restaurants. Several people have been interviewed as part of the investigation, but officials have not disclosed further details, saying the inquiry is still ongoing. Investigators continue to analyse CCTV footage collected from nearby houses, shops and streets in an effort to reconstruct the victim’s final movements. However, officials say the absence of a citywide surveillance system and the poor quality of many privately installed cameras have made the investigation more difficult.