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Murder of Mir Raza Ali

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Murder of Mir Raza Ali
Date28 July 2026 (body recovered on 29 July 2026)
Timec. 4:00 a.m. (disappearance)
Location
TypeAbduction, murder
CauseUnder investigation
TargetMir Raza Ali Khan
PerpetratorUnknown
OutcomeVictim abducted and later found dead; police investigation launched
Deaths1
Injuries0
BurialKarachi
CoronerJinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre
Arrests21
SuspectsMultiple persons detained for questioning

In the early hours of 28 July 2026, Mir Raza Ali Khan, a 25-year-old Pakistani businessman and founder of the Karachi-based dessert chain Wafflix, disappeared after leaving his home in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. His body was recovered the following day, 29 July, from bushes near a wedding hall in the neighborhood of Gulistan-e-Johar. A post-mortem examination determined that he had died from a gunshot wound, while police said the body showed signs consistent with torture. The killing prompted a police investigation and received widespread media coverage in Pakistan.

Background

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Mir Raza Ali Khan (10 January 2001 — 28 July 2026), son of Mir Hassan Ali, was a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi and a resident of PECHS Block 2. He was the founder and owner of Wafflix, a waffle and dessert business he had been running for approximately five years, with an outlet near Bahadurabad Chowrangi and a working kitchen in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. According to his father, Ali had no known personal enmity or financial disputes, and his wedding had reportedly been scheduled for August 2026.[1][2]

Disappearance

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On the night of 27–28 July 2026, Ali returned home in his own car from his shop at Bahadurabad Chowrangi. He left home again at around 4:00 a.m., telling his mother he would be back within ten minutes.[3] He did not return. CCTV footage later reviewed by investigators showed him in his kitchen between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. that night, where he was seen taking a pistol from a drawer, checking it, and placing it in his car before leaving. Separate footage showed a white vehicle arriving outside his house at approximately 4:09 a.m.[4] He was subsequently recorded booking an online ride-hailing taxi; the driver later told investigators he had dropped Ali near his dessert-bar kitchen in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, an area police noted was residential rather than commercial in character. Another CCTV camera captured Ali walking alone near Gulistan-e-Jauhar at around 4:38 a.m., in what investigators believe is the last confirmed footage of him before his disappearance.[5][6]

When Ali's mobile phone subsequently became unreachable, his family grew alarmed and lodged a missing-person report at the Ferozabad police station on 28 July. His father said the family later traced their son's last known location through the online taxi service and rushed to the area, where police joined the search.[3][7][8]

Discovery of the body

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On 29 July 2026, after 11:00 a.m., Edhi Foundation officials and police recovered a body bearing gunshot wounds from nursery bushes near the Shahi Qila Ground/wedding hall in Block 1 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The body, which showed signs of decomposition and was estimated by investigators to have been lying there for between 24 and more than 30 hours, was difficult to identify visually; Ali's father identified his son by his clothing.[9] Initial speculation that acid had been used on the body was later dismissed by doctors, who attributed its condition to decomposition in Karachi's summer heat rather than burning.[10][11]

A preliminary post-mortem examination, conducted at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and confirmed by Karachi police surgeon Dr Summaiya, found that Ali died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, fired from behind, which caused fatal blood loss. Police also said the body showed signs consistent with torture prior to the shooting. Investigators later recovered Ali's missing mobile phone along with a pistol holster approximately 200 yards from where the body was found.[12][13]

Ali's funeral prayers (Namaz-e-Janazah) were held in Karachi and attended by a large number of relatives, friends, and members of the business community.[14][15]

Investigation

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Initial investigation

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An initial first information report (FIR) was lodged by Ali's father at Ferozabad police station over the abduction; the case was later reclassified as a murder investigation once his body was found. Because the area lacked coverage from Karachi's Safe City surveillance network, investigators relied heavily on privately installed CCTV cameras, many of which produced poor-quality footage, complicating the inquiry.[1][16]

On 3 August, Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Karachi Police Azad Khan constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to lead the probe, headed by SSP of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Dr Samiullah Soomro, with SSP District East Zubair Nazir Sheikh and SP Investigation East Zone-I Muhammad Usman Sadozai as members.[17] The SIT was tasked with tracing and arresting those responsible and was authorized to seek assistance from any officer within the Karachi Range, reporting daily progress to the AIG.[18][19]

By 5 August, police had detained a total of 19 people for questioning during the course of the investigation, including employees of a private guest house, individuals found in possession of the victim's mobile phone, business partners of Ali, and an online taxi driver, among other individuals police described as key suspects.[20][21][22] Investigators also recovered further evidence, including newly surfaced CCTV footage recorded at approximately 8:00 a.m. on 29 July, hours before the body was discovered, showing an unidentified scavenger arriving at the crime scene and remaining there for about eight minutes; police suspect this individual may have removed the weapon used in the killing, and have used the footage to try to identify the person. Police said they continued to withhold certain investigative details to avoid compromising the case or alerting those responsible.[23][24]

Exhumation and second post-mortem

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Karachi police have not ruled out exhuming Mir Raza Ali's body after a dispute broke out between the police surgeon and investigators over apparent gaps in the post-mortem report. While Raza's family remains convinced he was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed publicly raised concerns that the entry wound, bullet trajectory, and exit wound described in the post-mortem report didn't fully correspond with one another, though she stressed her assessment was based only on the report and photographs, since she had not personally examined the body. She also noted that gunshot residue on the hands, commonly tested for in suspected suicides, was not checked in this case.[25] Police pushed back against her remarks, calling them premature and not legally tenable given she wasn't part of the post-mortem team, while acknowledging that exhumation remains possible with a medical board's recommendation and judicial approval.[26] SIU chief SSP Samiullah Soomro told Dawn that statements from Raza's friends and family have surfaced significant new details. He said Raza reportedly embraced his mother and cried intensely the day before he went missing, that the family was facing serious financial difficulties, and that on the night before his disappearance he asked one friend for 8 million rupees and, around midnight, another friend for 30 million rupees.[27] According to the investigation, he also sent a message suggesting he might not survive the night if he couldn't secure the money, and several friends said he'd expressed fear that his upcoming wedding might not go ahead.[28][25][29]

On 6 August, police recovered a spent cartridge casing near Shahi Qila Ground in Gulistan-e-Jauhar during the investigation into Ali's death. Police said the casing was found in an area consistent with the suspected bullet trajectory and would be subjected to forensic and ballistic examination.[30]

On the same day, a judicial magistrate in Karachi allowed an application for the exhumation of Mir Raza Ali's body and ordered a fresh medico-legal examination. The application was filed by Ali's father, Mir Hassan Ali, who disputed the initial findings and maintained that his son had been murdered.[31] The court directed the Sindh health secretary and Karachi police surgeon to constitute a medico-legal board comprising forensic experts and pathologists to oversee the exhumation and conduct further examination, including X-rays, DNA testing, and forensic and chemical analysis. The prosecution did not oppose the application. Following the court's order, a medical board was constituted to carry out the exhumation and collect samples for further examination. The body was scheduled to be reburied after the procedure. The court-ordered examination was the third medical board constituted in connection with the inquiry into Ali's death.[32][33]

The application followed questions raised about the initial post-mortem examination.[34] The petitioner's counsel argued that no X-ray had been conducted and that the cause of death had not been conclusively determined. Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had separately questioned aspects of the post-mortem findings, including the reported bullet trajectory, while noting that she had not personally examined the body.[35]

On 7 August, the planned exhumation of Mir Raza Ali's body was postponed after his family objected to changes made to the medico-legal board constituted by the court a day earlier. A government notification replaced the original eight-member board with a five-member panel, retaining its convener, Dr Summaiya Syed, and appointing additional members, including Professor Dr Zakiuddin, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Dow University of Health Sciences. When Ali's family and their lawyer, Jibran Nasir, arrived at the cemetery adjacent to Rehmania Masjid on Tariq Road for the scheduled exhumation, they declined to proceed with the examination under the reconstituted board. A subsequent notification further altered the composition of the board by combining members of the earlier panels. The family also objected to this arrangement, resulting in a further postponement of the procedure.[36][37]

Jibran Nasir questioned the authority under which the board had been reconstituted and objected to the removal of members named in the court's original order. He also alleged that the changes were intended to influence the investigation and protect individuals connected to the case. Ali's father, Mir Hussain Ali Khan, similarly said that the family recognised only the original eight-member board and would not consent to the exhumation under the revised panels. These allegations were disputed and remained part of the family's position in the proceedings. Following consultations between the police surgeon, judicial magistrate, investigating officer and the family's legal representatives, a judicial magistrate postponed the exhumation until 10 August 2026. Authorities subsequently restored the original medical board, allowing the exhumation to proceed under the composition specified in the court's initial order.[38][39][40]

On 8 August, a medico-legal board conducted a second post-mortem examination following the court-ordered exhumation. The examination was conducted at a cemetery near Tariq Road, Karachi, and samples were collected for further forensic and chemical analysis.[41] Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the examination documented multiple injuries, including a firearm wound.[42] The body was subsequently reburied.[43][44]

Murder investigation

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On 9 August, police amended the FIR concerning Mir Raza Ali's disappearance and death to include Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, pertaining to murder. The FIR had initially been registered at Ferozabad police station under Section 365, pertaining to kidnapping, and was amended following the preliminary findings of a second post-mortem examination conducted after Ali's exhumation. The examination recorded a firearm entry wound on the upper right side of the back and an exit wound on the left side of the chest, along with multiple ante-mortem injuries to the head, face, neck and chest, internal bleeding, and a fractured rib.[45][46]

On 10 August, the Sindh government announced that a judicial inquiry into Mir Raza Ali's death would be conducted under the supervision of a judge of the Sindh High Court.[47] The announcement followed a recommendation by Faryal Talpur, chairperson of the Sindh Assembly's Standing Committee on Home Affairs, for a judicial commission to examine the case.[48] The decision was announced by Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar after consultations with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. Murtaza Wahab, the Mayor of Karachi, said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had chaired a meeting at which the investigation was reviewed. The Karachi police chief also suspended Sharea Faisal DSP Muhammad Arshad Afridi and Gulistan-e-Jauhar SHO Kamran Qureshi over alleged failures to preserve the crime scene and conduct a proper crime-scene investigation after Ali's body was discovered.[49][50]

It was reported that traces of acid had been found in Mir Raza Ali's stomach, on his hands and feet, and on his clothing, while severe acid-related damage was reportedly found in his lungs. It also reported that another person's sweat was detected on his shirt. Police subsequently sealed a guesthouse near the crime scene and detained six of its workers, bringing the total number of people detained in the case from 19 to 21.[51][52]

Reactions

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The case received widespread media coverage and prompted public discussion about crime and public safety in Karachi. Ali's father appealed to authorities to identify and arrest those responsible for his son's death.[53][7] Public demonstrations were held in Karachi calling for a transparent investigation and justice for Ali. Actors Shuja Asad and Azlan Shah participated in one such protest in Bahadurabad, where they expressed solidarity with Ali's family and encouraged members of the entertainment industry and social media influencers to support the campaign for justice.[54]

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar condemned the killing, describing it as tragic, offering condolences to Ali's family, and calling on the Sindh government and law enforcement, including the Chief Minister of Sindh and the Inspector General of Police, to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.[55]

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon filed an application with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency against unidentified individuals over what he described as false and malicious social-media allegations concerning him and his son. Memon denied allegations that he owned a guest house allegedly connected to the case and that his son had left Pakistan following Ali's death.[56]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Explainer: What we know about Karachi businessman Mir Ali Raza's murder". Geo News. 31 July 2026. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Mir Raza Ali's father says young businessman's death falsely portrayed as suicide". Geo News. 4 August 2026. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 "CCTV footage shows Mir Raza Ali leaving home before murder". The Nation. 31 July 2026. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Missing weapon and forensic gaps deepen mystery in Mir Raza Ali Khan death case". Daily Times. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Rauf, Sajid (3 August 2026). "CCTV maps Wafflix owner's final hours". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mir Raza Ali Case: Final Hours Timeline Revealed in Major Breakthrough - Aaj Digital". Aaj TV. 4 August 2026. Archived from the original on 4 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 Ali, Imtiaz (31 July 2026). "Slain Karachi IBA student's family demands justice". Dawn. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Mir Raza Ali case: police trace final movements". Pakistan Today. 3 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Mir Raza murder: Father recalls body was unrecognisable". SAMAA TV. 1 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Kidnapped man found murdered in Jauhar". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2026. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Karachi dessert shop owner found dead after alleged kidnapping". The Express Tribune. 29 July 2026. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Usman, Muhammad (3 August 2026). "Investigators probe 'suspicious motorcyclists' in Mir Raza Ali death case". www.thenews.pk. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Wafflix's owner death: post-mortem raises 'more questions than answers'". The Express Tribune. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Karachi police surgeon flags flaws in Mir Raza autopsy". Pakistan Today. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Azam, Khizar (29 July 2026). "Wafflix owner Mir Raza Ali abducted, murdered in Karachi". Times Of Karachi. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Zubair, Muhammad (4 August 2026). "Special team formed to probe into businessman Mir Raza Ali Khan's murder". www.thenews.pk. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Special Team Assigned to Investigate Karachi Mir Raza Ali Case - Aaj News". Aaj TV. 3 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  18. ↑ Rizwan (6 August 2026). "Karachi police chief briefs mayor on Mir Raza Ali murder probe". The News International. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Karachi Investigation Update: Mir Raza Ali Khan Case SIT Visit". Aaj TV. 3 August 2026. Archived from the original on 4 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Mir Raza murder case: CCTV shows scavenger at crime scene, 19 detained". Daily Pakistan. 4 August 2026. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Zubair, Muhammad (3 August 2026). "New footage, death threats to family add twist to Mir Raza Ali's murder investigation". www.thenews.pk. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Jaffery Saulat; Shahzaib Hussain (5 August 2026). "Mir Raza death: Police surgeon flags 14 flaws in post-mortem". Aaj English TV. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Rehman, Eman (3 August 2026). "Mir Raza Ali Update: CCTV Footage and Gruesome Images". Brandsynario. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  24. ↑ Rizwan (5 August 2026). "Mir Raza Ali death: Forensic gaps, disputed medical report raise new questions". www.thenews.pk. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  25. 1 2 Rizwan (6 August 2026). "Businessman Mir Raza Ali's body needs to be exhumed: Dr Summaiya". thenews.pk. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Karachi Mir Raza Ali Case | New Evidence Emerges | Investigation Update". Aaj TV. 4 August 2026. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  27. ↑ خان, شاہ میر (7 August 2026). "میر رضا کے مبینہ آخری آڈیو پیغامات سامنے آگئے، رقم وصولی اور لاکھوں کے چیکس کی تجاویز بھی دیں | Express News". ایکسپریس اردو (in Urdu). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (6 August 2026). "Exhumation of Raza's body not ruled out after controversy over autopsy". Dawn. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  29. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (3 August 2026). "Missing weapon, forensic inconsistencies puzzle investigators in Raza 'murder' case". Dawn. Archived from the original on 4 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  30. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (6 August 2026). "Spent cartridge casing recovered from crime scene in Mir Raza Ali case: police". Dawn. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Abdullah, Sumair (6 August 2026). "Karachi court allows exhumation of Mir Raza Ali's body amid controversy over autopsy". Dawn. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "Karachi court orders Mir Raza Ali's body exhumation". The Nation. 6 August 2026. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  33. ↑ Usman, Muhammad (6 August 2026). "Mir Raza death case: Karachi court orders exhumation for fresh post-mortem". www.thenews.pk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Zubair, Muhammad (7 August 2026). "Buried with the truth: From Mustafa Amir to Mir Raza Ali, painful exhumations raise questions over police investigations". www.thenews.pk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "Family Objects to Exhumation in Karachi's Mir Raza Ali Case - Aaj News". Aaj TV. 7 August 2026. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  36. ↑ Abdullah, Imtiaz (7 August 2026). "Exhumation of Mir Raza Ali's body postponed after family objects to abrupt reconstitution of medico-legal board". Dawn. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  37. ↑ Rauf, Sajid (7 August 2026). "Mir Raza exhumation delayed as family rejects newly formed medical board". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Overnight medical board changes spark controversy in Mir Raza Ali case". Geo News. 7 August 2026. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  39. ↑ خان, فاران (7 August 2026). "میر رضا علی کیس، قبر کشائی کل ہوگی، پرانا میڈیکل بورڈ بحال". ایکسپریس اردو (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  40. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (8 August 2026). "Govt restores original medical board for exhumation of Mir Raza's body". Dawn. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  41. ↑ "Mir Raza Ali's body exhumed for forensic examination". The Nation. 8 August 2026. Archived from the original on 9 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  42. ↑ Zubair, Muhammad (9 August 2026). "Mir Raza Ali was tortured, shot from behind, says second autopsy report". The News International. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  43. ↑ "Pakistan police constitute new team to probe Karachi entrepreneur's suspected murder". Arab News. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  44. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (8 August 2026). "Initial findings of second post-mortem show multiple injuries on Mir Raza Ali, police surgeon says". Dawn. Archived from the original on 9 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  45. ↑ Rauf, Sajid (9 August 2026). "Murder charge added to Mir Raza case after re-postmortem report". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 9 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  46. ↑ "Mir Raza Ali case: Kidnapping case converted into murder FIR". The Nation. 9 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  47. ↑ Rehman, Eman (10 August 2026). "Mir Raza Ali Case: Sindh High Court Judge to Investigate". Brandsynario. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  48. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (9 August 2026). "Sindh govt decides judicial commission to probe Mir Raza Ali murder case". Dawn. Archived from the original on 9 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  49. ↑ "Samples sent for testing as Mir Raza Ali's re-postmortem completed after exhumation". The Express Tribune. 7 August 2026. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  50. ↑ "Mir Raza death case: Police form new probe team, add murder charge". Brecorder. 9 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  51. ↑ Mushtaq, Kashif (10 August 2026). "'Acid traces' found in Mir Raza Ali's stomach, clothes". Geo News. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  52. ↑ Rehman, Latif ur (10 August 2026). "Authorities detect 'acid traces' in Mir Raza Ali's stomach, clothes". The News International. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  53. ↑ "Mir Raza Ali death case: Father seeks fresh post-mortem examination". Geo News. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  54. ↑ "Shuja Asad joins Karachi protest demanding justice for Wafflix owner, Mir Raza Ali". The Express Tribune. 3 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  55. ↑ "Farooq Sattar Condemns Murder of Young Entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali, Calls for Transparent Investigation". Daily Independent. 29 July 2026. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  56. ↑ "Pakistan minister seeks cybercrime probe over claims linking him, son to Karachi murder case". Arab News PK. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
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