A dispute over a post-mortem report in Karachi has escalated to the point where police are not ruling out exhuming the body of a former IBA student. The controversy pits the city's police surgeon against investigators, who maintain their evidence points to suicide, while the family insists their son was murdered. The case centers on Mir Raza Ali, a 25-year-old aspiring businessman whose body was found with a gunshot wound to the chest. Two days after he disappeared from his PECHS home, his remains were discovered in bushes near Shahi Qila in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, opposite the University of Karachi. Main Developments Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told a private news channel on Tuesday that the post-mortem findings raised several red flags. She noted that the reported entry wound, bullet trajectory, and exit wound did not correspond with one another, and that entry wounds are typically smaller than exit wounds in firearm cases. Read also: Lower South Waziristan Residents Demand Halt to Night Quadcopter Flights Gunshot residue, which is commonly found on the hands in suspected suicides, was not tested for, she added. Syed stressed that her assessment was based solely on the post-mortem report and photographs, as she had not examined the body herself. Her comments prompted a sharp rebuttal from police, who issued a statement clarifying that Syed did not conduct the post-mortem nor physically examine the deceased. The statement argued that any opinion given solely on photographs, without a proper medico-legal examination, is "premature and not tenable in law." Yet the same statement left the door open for exhumation, saying it could be done on a medical board's recommendation with judicial permission. When contacted by Dawn on Wednesday, Syed said she had already dispatched an official letter to police on Monday conveying all her concerns, adding, "[There is] no need for me to comment now." Background Special Investigation Unit (SIU) SSP Samiullah Soomro, who leads the investigation, told Dawn that statements from Raza's friends and family have revealed significant facts about his mental state. A day before the incident, Raza reportedly "embraced his mother and cried intensely," and the family was facing severe financial difficulties. On the night before his death, Raza allegedly approached a friend seeking Rs8 million, then called another friend at midnight requesting Rs30 million. He also sent a message stating that if he failed to secure the money, he might not live to see the following morning. Friends also told investigators that Raza had expressed fears that his upcoming marriage might never take place, confiding in his fiancée and close friends that he believed the wedding would not happen. Despite this, Soomro clarified that the investigation is still underway and no conclusion has been reached. Why It Matters The case has become a flashpoint between the police surgeon's professional concerns and the investigators' evidence-based approach. If the exhumation proceeds, it could provide definitive answers about the nature of the gunshot wound, potentially shifting the narrative from suicide to homicide. The family's conviction that Raza was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered adds emotional weight to the proceedings. The outcome could influence public trust in the medico-legal system, especially if procedural gaps like the missing gunshot residue test are confirmed. What's Next The decision now rests with the judiciary, as exhumation requires permission from a court. A medical board of medico-legal experts would need to recommend the procedure, which could then clarify the discrepancies between the post-mortem report and photographs. Meanwhile, the SIU continues to collect statements and evidence, though SSP Soomro has not indicated when a final conclusion might be reached. The police surgeon's letter, already sent to authorities, may prompt further review of the autopsy findings.