‘Your interviews suggest someone launched you to defame the family’: Mir Raza commission to Bhardey

The judicial commission investigating the Mir Raza case questioned Ahmed Bhardey over statements he made in social media interviews, telling him that he had claimed to have much more to say about the matter.

The commission said there was no dispute taking place and noted that Bhardey was also a friend of Mir Raza. It said asking questions was the family’s right.

The commission questioned Bhardey over measures including seeking pre-arrest bail and demands for money, saying such actions raised questions about his conduct.

It also observed that his interviews gave the impression that someone had “launched” him to defame the family. The commission directed Bhardey to first answer the family’s questions in a closed-door meeting regarding whatever he wanted to say.

During the proceedings, the commission said a significant amount of public money was being spent on the inquiry and urged that rumours about its proceedings should not be spread.

The commission said media outlets should report on the proceedings rather than circulate rumours. It also offered Bhardey an opportunity to submit whatever he wanted to say in writing along with an affidavit.

The commission further remarked that the police had handled the case poorly. It noted that there were cases around the world that remained unresolved, but families of victims generally did not complain against police simply because such cases could not be solved.

Meanwhile, Mir Raza’s father recalled that he had told doctors at Jinnah Hospital that Ahmed was like his son Raza.