The investigation into the death of Mir Raza Ali has gained fresh momentum after police obtained a replacement SIM registered in his name, which investigators hope will help them access his WhatsApp account and recover potentially important data.
According to police sources cited by ARY News, the mobile operator issued the SIM following a police request. Its ownership was subsequently transferred to Mir Raza’s mother after biometric verification and other required formalities.
Investigators hope to use the SIM to access backed-up WhatsApp data, which they believe could provide new leads in the case.
Meanwhile, the investigative committee has reconstructed a detailed timeline of Mir Raza’s final hours, indicating that he had been making extensive efforts to arrange investments and loans.
Investigators say he met Ahmed Raja at 5:54pm on July 27 to discuss a possible investment of Rs7-8 million. At 7:05pm, he was reportedly informed that a Rs10 million bank loan in his sister’s name had been approved, while another potential investor later told him he could not proceed with an investment.
After having dinner with a friend at around 11:50pm, Mir Raza reportedly contacted Sarim Syed around midnight seeking an urgent Rs30 million loan.
Investigators also found a prayer on his smartwatch concerning financial independence and repayment of debt.
According to the reconstructed timeline, Mir Raza began deactivating his social-media accounts after midnight. Instagram was reportedly disabled at 12:23am, followed by Facebook, LinkedIn and Snapchat at 2:42am.
His fiancée reportedly attempted to contact him several times shortly after 3am after noticing his accounts had disappeared but received no response.
At 3:18am, Mir Raza allegedly transferred money from his accounts to those of his parents. Investigators say he then went to his shop at 3:42am, collected a security guard’s pistol and returned home about 11 minutes later.
He left his residence in an online taxi at 4:09am. During the journey, investigators believe he switched off his mobile phone and threw it from the vehicle.
The taxi dropped him near the reported scene at around 4:35am, and CCTV footage three minutes later reportedly showed him walking alone towards the area.
According to investigators, the last available CCTV footage places Mir Raza approximately 100 to 150 metres from the location where his body was subsequently discovered.
Police are continuing to examine digital, financial and forensic evidence as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.