Roma Ria steps into national director role for Mis…

The Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court has ordered the compulsory retirement of Senior Civil Judge Ayaz Ali after corruption allegations against him were found to be proven following a departmental inquiry. According to the inspection team, the inquiry established misconduct on the part of the senior civil judge. The investigation was carried out in detail by Inquiry Officer Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi, who examined the allegations and submitted his findings after completing the proceedings. The inspection team said the competent authority had initially recommended the judge’s dismissal from service. However, after conducting the final hearing and reviewing all available facts and evidence, the Chief Justice decided to impose the penalty of compulsory retirement instead of outright dismissal. Officials said the decision was made after completing all legal and administrative procedures related to the disciplinary case. The punishment was finalized following a comprehensive review of the inquiry report and the recommendations submitted by the relevant authorities. The inspection team further stated that the Sindh High Court’s order has come into immediate effect. As a result, Senior Civil Judge Ayaz Ali has been compulsorily retired from judicial service in accordance with the court’s disciplinary decision. The action reflects the judiciary’s internal accountability process, under which complaints of misconduct against judicial officers are investigated through formal inquiries before disciplinary measures are taken. The latest order concludes the proceedings against the senior civil judge and has been enforced with immediate effect.

The father of businessman Mir Raza Ali has raised fresh concerns about the investigation into his son’s death. Speaking to the media on Monday, Mir Hassan claimed that his son’s business partner went missing after being questioned by police. He said police had questioned the business partner once. The man was allegedly not seen again after the questioning. Hassan said the family had not been informed about the investigation involving employees of the guest house in Gulistan-e-Johar. Mir Raza’s body was found near the guest house. “We have not been told what investigations were conducted with the employees,” he said. The victim’s father also questioned why CCTV footage from the guest house had not been made public. The latest concerns have emerged as investigators continue to review the circumstances surrounding Mir Raza’s death. The case took a new turn after the businessman’s body was exhumed for a second post-mortem examination. The second medical examination found a firearm injury and several wounds that had occurred before death. It also reported signs of internal bleeding. According to the findings, a bullet entered the upper right side of Mir Raza’s back and exited through the left side of his chest. The bullet fractured his sixth rib and caused internal bleeding. The report also documented injuries to different parts of his head, face, neck and chest. Following the medical findings, police added Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code to the case. The section relates to murder. The original FIR had been registered under Section 365, which concerns kidnapping. Mir Raza, 25, was allegedly abducted from the PECHS area. His body was later found in bushes near a wedding hall in Gulistan-e-Johar. Police had earlier suspected that he may have been tortured before being shot. The case initially faced uncertainty over whether Mir Raza had been murdered or had died by suicide. His family, however, consistently rejected the suicide theory. The second post-mortem has strengthened the family’s claim that Mir Raza was killed. Questions had also been raised about the first post-mortem report. Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had pointed out several issues in the initial examination. She had questioned why the body was not X-rayed and why hand swabs were not collected for gunshot residue testing. She had also raised concerns over the scientific measurement and photography of firearm injuries. Questions were further raised about the documentation of the bullet’s path and the examination of the entry and exit wounds. Following these developments, police dissolved the previous investigation team. A new team was formed under the leadership of DIG Crime and Investigation Amir Farooqi. The new team was tasked with conducting a fresh investigation based on the latest medical findings. Investigators were also expected to revisit the crime scene. They were directed to re-question the victim’s family and other relevant individuals. The team was also expected to examine forensic, technical, physical and circumstantial evidence. Mir Raza’s family has repeatedly criticised the handling of the case. They have maintained that he was murdered and demanded that those responsible be identified and brought to justice. The family’s lawyer, Jibran Nasir, had also alleged that investigators pressured the family to accept a suicide theory. He called for an independent and impartial investigation. The Sindh government has meanwhile decided to establish a judicial commission headed by a Sindh High Court judge. The commission is intended to oversee a transparent and impartial investigation into Mir Raza’s death.

LAHORE: Government College University (GCU) Lahore has officially moved its administrative operations to a fully paperless digital system, marking a major step towards modernising governance and reducing reliance on traditional office files. The transformation has been achieved through the implementation of the e-Filing and Office Automation System, a cloud-based digital platform developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). The system has been provided to the university free of cost under special directions from the Punjab government, according to university officials. Under the new framework, administrative processes across GCU’s departments will now be handled online through a single digital platform. Routine matters such as leave applications, travel permissions, annual performance reports, official orders and departmental correspondence can now be processed electronically. The university said the system would also cover digital note sheets for proposals between departments, approval of payments for visiting faculty, purchase requests and agendas for departmental meetings. No more files moving from desk to desk One of the most significant changes will be the elimination of the traditional practice of physically moving files from one office to another. Instead, officials will be able to create, review, approve and track documents digitally through the cloud-based platform. This is expected to improve administrative efficiency while making it easier to monitor the progress of official matters. GCU Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Umar Chaudhry described the transition as more than an environmental initiative, saying digital governance was essential for a modern educational institution. He said moving administrative affairs away from paper would strengthen transparency, speed and accountability, while reducing delays associated with manual file tracking. According to the vice chancellor, removing routine administrative delays would allow faculty members and heads of departments to devote more time to teaching and research. Part of wider digital transformation The university said the paperless initiative is part of a broader digitalisation drive launched during the previous academic year under the vice chancellor’s leadership. Before implementing the complete e-office system, GCU had introduced online approval mechanisms for student society events and digital billing for payments to visiting faculty members. The administration is now preparing to take the process further with the planned launch of a comprehensive e-Services Portal. The upcoming platform is expected to streamline requests related to campus maintenance and other facilities. Officials hope the system will allow infrastructure-related problems to be reported and addressed more quickly without disrupting academic activities. Alumni records also going digital GCU’s digital reforms are not limited to current campus operations. The university is also working on a major project to digitise the records of its alumni, expanding technology-based management beyond day-to-day administration. The move towards a paperless campus could ultimately reduce paperwork, improve record management and provide university officials with faster access to important information. With administrative processes increasingly moving online, GCU Lahore is positioning itself as an example of how Pakistan’s public-sector universities can use digital technology to make governance faster, more transparent and more efficient.