Investigators probing the murder of young businessman Mir Raza Ali have reactivated his mobile number to access his WhatsApp account. The key technical development can help uncover digital evidence and trace people linked to the case, sources said.
Meanwhile, Ali’s family has rejected the Sindh government’s decision to form a judicial commission, and would approach the Sindh High Court (SHC) to seek the constitution of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
A resident of PECHS Society Block 2, Ali was murdered last month, and investigators are examining his digital footprint as part of the ongoing probe. According to sources, the mobile operator issued a replacement SIM on the police’s request after the completion of all the legal formalities. The ownership of the SIM was transferred to Ali’s mother, and the new SIM was issued after biometric verification and the submission of the required documents.
The investigation team will use the number to attempt to access Ali’s WhatsApp account and examine the available backups and chat records. Investigators expect the digital evidence to provide clues about important aspects of the case, and potentially help trace the people linked to the murder, sources said.
On the other hand, Ali’s family and their lawyer have once again expressed reservations over the Sindh government’s decision to form a judicial commission to investigate the murder. Ali’s father Mir Hussain said he would approach the SHC on Monday (today) and request that a JIT be formed to probe the case. The family’s lawyer Jibran Nasir also rejected the government’s decision to constitute a judicial commission.
Nasir told the media that the judicial commission had been formed without consulting Ali’s family, and that its terms of reference had not been made public. He said police are scheduled to submit their investigation report before a magistrate today, and questioned why the government had announced forming the judicial commission before the police report is presented.
He asked if the government has prior knowledge of the police investigation and disagrees with its findings. He also asked why a JIT has not been formed, and why alleged criminal conduct by police officers involved in the case has not been investigated.
