A major development has emerged in the investigation into the death of Karachi businessman Mir Raza Ali after Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed formally raised serious objections to the post-mortem report, identifying 14 major forensic shortcomings and recommending exhumation for a fresh autopsy if critical questions cannot be answered.

In an official letter sent to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East, Dr Syed said the post-mortem conducted on July 29, 2026, failed to meet several essential forensic standards, warning that significant evidence may have been overlooked.

According to the letter, the body was not X-rayed, no hand swabs were collected for gunshot residue testing, and no sample was taken from the blackening around the entry wound for chemical analysis.

The police surgeon further noted that the scalp was not removed for examination, the skull was not opened for an internal inspection, and the neck was not internally examined, despite the importance of these procedures in firearm-related deaths.

The letter also pointed out that no measurement scale was used while documenting firearm injuries and that proper crime scene photographs of the body were not taken. It said the entry and exit wounds were not accurately described with reference to anatomical landmarks, while the report incorrectly recorded the entry wound as being larger than the exit wound.

Dr Syed also highlighted that the report failed to mention tears in the victim’s clothing or the direction of fabric fibres, did not clearly document the bullet’s internal path or trajectory, and lacked forensic-standard photographs of the injuries.

She further observed that the report did not adequately describe the extent of decomposition in different parts of the body. Despite the victim’s face being unrecognisable, no DNA sample was collected to establish an identification.

The police surgeon said these shortcomings raised serious concerns that crucial forensic evidence had been missed. She wrote that the post-mortem report generated more questions than answers and recommended a fresh forensic examination. The letter added that if satisfactory scientific answers could not be obtained, the body should be exhumed and a second post-mortem conducted.

The latest development comes after Karachi Police Chief Azad Khan disclosed that the police surgeon had not physically examined the body and had instead prepared observations based on photographs.

He clarified that under the law, the medico-legal officer (MLO) is authorised to conduct and issue the post-mortem report.

Azad Khan said investigators relied on the MLO’s findings and maintained that any objections from the police surgeon should have been submitted through the appropriate legal forum.

He also said the body could be exhumed for a fresh autopsy if the victim’s family requested it and all legal requirements were fulfilled.

Meanwhile, investigators have unlocked Mir Raza’s Apple Watch with the help of the Sindh Counter Terrorism Department’s technical team. Police said the smartwatch has yielded information related to financial transactions and other potentially significant evidence.

Investigators believe data had been deleted from both the victim’s iPhone and Apple Watch before they were recovered. While the smartwatch has been accessed, forensic experts have so far been unable to unlock the iPhone.

Mir Raza Ali, 25, went missing from Karachi’s Ferozabad area before his body was found in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on July 29.