KARACHI – Mir Raza murder case took another turn, with fresh questions raised over why the doctor who conducted his first autopsy was summoned to the Chief Minister’s House. Before the judicial commission, Dr. Usama revealed who called him, who was present, and faced tough questions over conflicting post-mortem reports.
The investigation into the Mir Raza case took another turn after Dr. Usama, who conducted first post-mortem examination, appeared before the judicial commission and made a series of revelations about the circumstances surrounding the high-profile murder case.
During detailed questioning, Dr. Usama told the commission that he was called to the Chief Minister’s House on the instructions of DIG East Farrukh Lanjar, where SSP Samiullah Soomro was also present. According to the doctor, he was asked there to provide the timeline of the case.
Dr. Usama said he was summoned but refused to go without an official letter. He was subsequently told by his superior to follow the instructions of his boss “under all circumstances,” including orders coming from “his boss’s superiors.” The doctor further disclosed that Additional IG Azad Khan also called him and directed him to go to the Chief Minister’s House.
However, Dr. Usama told the commission that he stood by Dr. Sumaiya, saying that what she was doing was correct and that he supported her. He also categorically denied ever claiming that Mir Raza had died by suicide.
The proceedings became tense when the judicial commission expressed strong displeasure over Dr. Usama’s answers. The commission warned him against trying to “act smart,” telling him that he could find himself in serious difficulty if he did not treat the matter with the required seriousness.
The questioning then turned directly to the post-mortem itself. “Tell us the truth, did you perform Mir Raza’s post-mortem, or did the sweeper do it?” the commission asked. Dr. Usama replied that he himself had conducted the post-mortem.
When asked how many post-mortems he had performed in his career, the doctor said he had conducted more than 100. But another answer raised further questions. The commission asked whether he had been conducting post-mortems before completing his diploma. Dr. Usama responded that, after completing his diploma, he had probably performed between 30 and 50 post-mortems.
Justice Umar Sial reacted strongly to the response, observing that the doctor appeared to be taking the entire matter far too lightly.
The most serious questions, however, concerned the apparent discrepancies between the initial and final post-mortem reports. The commission pointed out that the final report was completely different from the initial report, while the handwriting on the two documents also appeared to be different.
The commission questioned Dr. Usama, What happened suddenly that the report itself was changed? Did you prepare both reports? Should the matter be subjected to forensic examination? The commission also raised the possibility that the discrepancies could be more than an ordinary error or negligence.
It asked whether the changes represented mere negligence or a possible attempt to facilitate a murder, and demanded to know who, if anyone, had instructed the doctor to alter the report.
The commission further told Dr. Usama that if he had faced any pressure, whether administrative or political, he should openly disclose the name of the person responsible. Dr. Usama, however, maintained that he had faced no administrative or political pressure.
The commission then raised another crucial question. If your work was completely correct, why was there a need to write a letter to Dr. Sumaiya? The question added another layer to the commission’s scrutiny of the post-mortem process and the handling of the case.
The commission made sharp observation about the manner in which post-mortems are allegedly conducted, remarking that it is commonly known that sweepers perform the physical post-mortem procedure while doctors merely sign the reports.
Judicial Commission shares WhatsApp, email to seek information about Mir Raza’s murder
