Mir Raza Probe: Commission Orders Help for Bykea Driver

KARACHI: A judicial commission investigating the death of young businessman Mir Raza has directed police to help restore the livelihood and housing of a Bykea driver who assisted the deceased’s family and later told the inquiry that his involvement in the case had left him without a vehicle or accommodation. The development emerged on Friday as the commission issued written directions concerning evidence recorded during its proceedings.

Driver Ihsanullah told the commission that the vehicle he had been using through Bykea was no longer available to him and that his landlord had also asked him to leave his residence. He said the circumstances had forced him to stay at Ferozabad police station. The commission took notice of his situation while examining the conduct of people and institutions connected to the investigation into Mir Raza’s death.

The commission directed investigating officer DSP Siraj Lashari to contact both the company management and the driver’s former landlord in an effort to address their concerns and assist Ihsanullah. It also instructed the officer to make clear that neither the company nor the landlord would face coercive action merely because of their connection to the case. The commission noted that the driver was not being treated as a suspect and had cooperated with Mir Raza’s family during the search for the missing businessman.

Lawyer Jibran Nasir, representing Mir Raza’s family, has argued that Ihsanullah should not suffer financially for helping investigators and the family. Nasir has called for practical measures that would allow the driver to resume earning a living. Bykea chief executive Muneeb Maayr, however, presented a different account of the employment issue, explaining that the driver had been using a vehicle obtained through the company’s fleet-rental arrangement rather than being barred from the platform itself.

According to Maayr, the vehicle was impounded during the investigation and was later removed from rental circulation because of its connection with the high-profile case. He maintained that Ihsanullah had not been prohibited from working through the platform and could use another vehicle if one became available. The differing accounts have placed additional attention on the wider consequences faced by witnesses and other people who cooperate with sensitive criminal investigations.

The commission has also continued recording statements from people linked to Mir Raza and the investigation. Those appearing before it have included his business associates, the driver and police officials. Separate reports on the proceedings said additional police personnel have been summoned for the next hearing as the commission examines how the original investigation was conducted and how evidence and witnesses were handled.

Mir Raza, a young Karachi entrepreneur, disappeared in late July before his body was recovered the following day in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The circumstances of his death became the subject of intense public scrutiny after his family challenged the initial handling of the case. Subsequent legal and investigative developments led to further examination of the evidence and the establishment of a judicial commission to scrutinise the investigation.

The latest order broadens the commission’s focus beyond the circumstances of Mir Raza’s death to the treatment of people who assisted the inquiry. For Pakistan’s criminal justice system, the episode raises wider questions about protecting cooperating witnesses and ensuring they do not face unnecessary economic or social consequences. The commission is expected to continue proceedings on September 7, when further statements and records are due to be examined as authorities pursue unresolved aspects of the case.