Karachi SHO dismissed over crime scene failures in Mir Raza murder case

A Karachi police officer has been dismissed from service over the handling of the crime scene in the Mir Raza murder case. Former Gulistan-e-Jauhar Station House Officer (SHO) Sub-Inspector Kamran Qureshi was removed on Saturday after a departmental inquiry held him responsible for serious lapses.

Karachi Range Additional Inspector General of Police Azad Khan issued the final order. The inquiry found Qureshi guilty of negligence, unprofessional conduct and failure to carry out his official duties.

The order is the latest development in the Mir Raza murder case, which has drawn scrutiny from the Sindh High Court, a Senate committee and a judicial commission.

What the inquiry found in the Mir Raza murder case

According to the departmental order, Qureshi was SHO at Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police Station in District East when the incident took place on July 29, 2026. The inquiry concluded that he did not secure the crime scene and did not call the crime scene unit to collect evidence as established procedures require.

The inquiry found that his negligence allegedly delayed forensic examination and increased the risk of important evidence being lost.

Central Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Muhammad Imran Khan led the inquiry. He submitted his report on September 21, 2026, and recommended a major departmental penalty.

Show-cause notice and dismissal

After the inquiry in the Mir Raza murder case, a show-cause notice was later issued to Qureshi, but he did not submit a written reply. He was also summoned to the Orderly Room on November 13 to put his case in person, though his verbal explanation was found unsatisfactory.

AIG Khan agreed with the inquiry officer's recommendations and ordered dismissal under the Sindh Police Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 1988. The order also directs that accounts relating to government property and outstanding dues be completed.

In a separate statement, Karachi Police said the action followed the findings and recommendations of the inquiry commission in the Mir Raza murder case.

Explained: why the crime scene matters in the Mir Raza murder case

In the Mir Raza murder case, the inquiry found that Qureshi did not secure the scene where Raza's body was found, near Shadi Qila Ground in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. It also found that he did not call the crime scene unit to collect evidence, as established procedures require.

According to the order, this allegedly delayed forensic examination and increased the risk of important evidence being lost. The inquiry officer recommended a major departmental penalty, and AIG Khan agreed with that recommendation.

The dismissal concerns Qureshi's conduct as SHO. The wider Mir Raza murder case continues, with a JIT still working on its investigation after a magistrate court granted it 10 more days.

Three strands now surround the Mir Raza murder case: the departmental inquiry that led to the dismissal, the judicial commission's report to the Sindh government, and the JIT's ongoing investigation.

Background: how the Mir Raza murder case unfolded

Raza, 25, owner of the dessert brand Wafflix, went missing from Karachi's PECHS on July 28, 2026. His body was found the next day in bushes near Shadi Qila Ground in Block 1, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, with bullet wounds. According to reports, the body was about two days old.

Police initially treated the death as a possible suicide. A court then ordered a second post-mortem after the first report did not give a detailed picture of how he died. The second autopsy, carried out after exhumation, found a firearm entry wound, multiple ante-mortem injuries and signs of internal bleeding, and investigators began treating the case as murder.

The Karachi police surgeon had identified 14 deficiencies in the first post-mortem. They included the absence of an X-ray, no hand swabs for gunshot-residue analysis and no chemical examination of gunpowder marks around the wound. The first post-mortem's shortcomings are part of the wider questions over how the Mir Raza murder case was handled.

Scrutiny of the Mir Raza murder investigation

Raza's family alleged serious lapses in the handling of evidence and CCTV footage and sought a joint investigation team (JIT). The Sindh High Court rejected the request for a JIT but directed the authorities to investigate impartially, fairly and expeditiously.

In September, police told a Senate committee that they had recorded statements from 78 people but had found no evidence linking anyone to the alleged murder. Investigators continued to treat the case as murder while reviewing medical, chemical, forensic and digital evidence.

The Sindh government set up a judicial commission headed by Sindh High Court Justice Umar Sial. It examined the circumstances of the death, the conduct of the investigation and any possible negligence or concealment of evidence.

The commission's proceedings in the Mir Raza murder case raised discrepancies in witness accounts, evidence handling and the initial post-mortem, and it questioned senior police and health officials about CCTV footage, Raza's phone and smartwatch, and the early focus on suicide.

After 15 hearings, the commission submitted its report to the Sindh government on October 16.

Questions and answers

Why was the former SHO dismissed in the Mir Raza murder case?

A departmental inquiry found Sub-Inspector Kamran Qureshi guilty of negligence, unprofessional conduct and failure to discharge his duties. He did not secure the crime scene or call the crime scene unit to collect evidence.

Who ordered the dismissal?

Karachi Range Additional IG of Police Azad Khan ordered it under the Sindh Police Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 1988. He agreed with the recommendations of the inquiry officer, Central SSP Dr Muhammad Imran Khan.

What is the latest in the Mir Raza murder investigation?

A Judicial Magistrate East court has given a Joint Investigation Team another 10 days to finish its investigation and submit its report. Police told a Senate committee in September that they had found no evidence linking anyone to the murder.

Who is Mir Raza?

Mir Raza, 25, was the owner of the dessert brand Wafflix. He went missing from PECHS, Karachi, on July 28, 2026, and his body was found the next day in bushes near Shadi Qila Ground in Block 1, Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

What did the second post-mortem find in the Mir Raza murder case?

The second autopsy, carried out after exhumation, found a firearm entry wound, multiple ante-mortem injuries and signs of internal bleeding. Investigators then began treating the case as murder.

Did Kamran Qureshi respond to the show-cause notice?

He did not submit a written reply. He was summoned to the Orderly Room on November 13 to explain in person, but his verbal explanation was found unsatisfactory.

What did the judicial commission examine?

The commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Umar Sial, examined the circumstances of the death, the conduct of the investigation and any possible negligence or concealment of evidence. It submitted its report to the Sindh government on October 16 after 15 hearings.

What did the police surgeon find wrong with the first post-mortem?

The Karachi police surgeon identified 14 deficiencies, including the absence of an X-ray, no hand swabs for gunshot-residue analysis and no chemical examination of gunpowder marks around the wound.