The Sindh government has restored the original medical board formed to oversee the exhumation of IBA graduate and businessman Mir Raza Ali.
The decision came after his family objected to the sudden reconstitution of the board.
The exhumation had been scheduled for Friday morning at a Karachi graveyard. However, authorities postponed the process following the family’s objections.
The original eight-member board will now conduct the exhumation on Saturday at 11am.
Family Rejects Reconstituted Medical Board
Mir Raza Ali’s family was present at the Tariq Road graveyard on Friday for the planned exhumation.
However, the process was deferred after the family refused to accept the newly constituted medical board.
The family’s counsel, Advocate Jibran Nasir, informed the media that they had rejected the revised board.
He said the family would not accept an exhumation conducted by the reconstituted board “under any circumstances”.
Nasir also accused the authorities of attempting to obscure facts surrounding the case.
He held the police, health department and Sindh government responsible for the delay.
According to the lawyer, the family questioned the “qualifications and intentions” of members added to the revised board.
How the Medical Board Was Changed
A judicial magistrate had permitted the exhumation on Thursday.
The order followed an application submitted by Raza’s father, Mir Hussain Ali.
The magistrate directed the police surgeon and Sindh health secretary to constitute a medical board.
The Sindh Health Department initially formed an eight-member board.
Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed was appointed as its convener.
The board also included Prof Dr Naseem Ahmed of Dow University of Health Sciences, Dr Farah Waseem of Jinnah Sindh Medical University and Amir Hassan Khan of Citizens Police Liaison Committee.
Additional Police Surgeon Dr Sirichand also joined the board.
Dr Kamran Khan and Dr Daniyal Mirza of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre were included as members.
Dr Mohammed Yaseen, the administrative in-charge of the police surgeon’s office, completed the original board.
However, the board was reconstituted in the early hours of Friday through an order issued by the director general of the Sindh Health Department.
Dr Summaiya Syed remained the convener of the new five-member board.
However, the revised board included Prof Dr Zakiuddin from DUHS, Prof Dr Kazi Akbar and Prof Dr Abid Hussain Chang from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.
Hyderabad Police Surgeon Dr Waseem Khan was also added.
Lawyer Raises Questions Over Board Reconstitution
Nasir said the family had not been informed about the reason for changing the original medical board.
He recalled that the DG Health had dismissed the original board before adding four members from Hyderabad.
He further claimed that the DG Health later issued a “backdated notification at around 10am on Friday”.
According to Nasir, the notification stated that additional members could be included while retaining the four newly selected members.
The lawyer said the family continued to trust only the original eight-member board.
He added, “Sindh government, they were hired by you. And if they are not competent enough, then how were they appointed in the first place?”
Nasir also submitted a formal letter to the police surgeon regarding the family’s objection.
The letter stated that the family did not consent to an exhumation conducted by the reconstituted board.
It also described the revised board as being in “complete violation and negation” of the court’s order.
The lawyer argued that the revised arrangement had no legal basis.
He called it nothing “but a malicious attempt to interfere with judicial proceedings initiated by the court”.
He further warned that any directive supporting the revised board would be viewed as a “further malicious attempt to provide cover to an illegal act and sabotage fair and transparent investigation”.
Nasir also warned that proceeding with the revised board could affect evidence and the dignity of the deceased.
He described such action as a potential “blatant” contempt of court.
Original Board Restored Late Friday
The dispute ended with a decision by the Sindh health secretary to restore the original eight-member medical board.
Following the notification, the police surgeon informed the concerned magistrate and other board members about the new arrangements.
The exhumation is now scheduled for 11am on Saturday at the graveyard adjacent to Rehmania Masjid.
The restoration clears the immediate dispute over which medical board will oversee the process.
Case Took New Turn After Post-Mortem Questions
The case gained further attention after questions emerged about the post-mortem findings.
The police surgeon had earlier stated that some observations in the report did not appear to match available photographs.
Those remarks prompted police authorities to caution that such observations could affect the ongoing investigation.
The police surgeon later expressed frustration over what she described as “impediments” in a social media post.
The post was subsequently deleted after the government restored the original eight-member medical board.
What Happens Next
With the original board restored, the exhumation of Mir Raza Ali’s body is scheduled to proceed on Saturday morning.
The process is expected to provide an opportunity for a fresh examination under the board initially constituted following the magistrate’s order.
Meanwhile, Raza’s family continues to seek clarity over the circumstances surrounding his death and the findings of the earlier post-mortem.
The body of the IBA graduate was found in bushes in Gulistan-i-Jauhar last month.
He had gone missing on July 28, and his body was discovered the following day.
The fresh exhumation remains a significant step in the investigation as authorities seek to address questions surrounding the case.
