Mir Raza case: Judicial commission directs efforts to restore Bykea driver’s livelihood

A judicial commission probing the mysterious death of young entrepreneur Mir Raza has directed the investigating officer to contact the driver’s former landlord and Bykea company to address their concerns and help restore his housing and livelihood, Aaj News reported on Friday.

The direction came after Bykea driver Ihsanullah told the commission that the company had taken back the vehicle he was using and that his landlord had also evicted him. He said he was currently forced to stay at Ferozabad police station.

According to the commission’s written order, statements of Mir Raza’s business partner Muhammad Abdullah, Ahmed, driver Ihsanullah and DSP Arshad Afridi were recorded during the proceedings.

The commission directed investigating officer DSP Siraj Lashari to contact the company management and the landlord and assure them that no coercive action would be taken against them in connection with the Mir Raza case.

It observed that Ihsanullah was not a suspect in the case but had cooperated fully with Mir Raza’s family during the search for the missing entrepreneur.

Lawyer Jibran Nasir, who represents Mir Raza’s family, said on Thursday that Ihsanullah had cooperated with the family and investigators from the outset but was allegedly evicted by the police and lost access to the Bykea vehicle after becoming involved in the case.

Jibran said the commission had taken notice of the matter and directed the investigating officer to speak to the driver’s landlord and Bykea about restoring his circumstances.

He urged Bykea to rehire the driver independently, saying, “Instead of encouraging those who stand for justice and have courage to come forth with truth, we penalise them as a society.”

Bykea CEO Muneeb Maayr, however, disputed Nasir’s account, saying the driver had rented the vehicle on a monthly basis through the company’s fleet business.

Maayr said the vehicle had been impounded and Ihsanullah detained by police for several weeks. After the vehicle was released, Bykea parked it because it had been involved in a high-profile incident and removed it from the company’s rental offerings.

He clarified: “At no point in time was the driver ever banned from Bykea and is free to drive any vehicle on our platform, it is just that we don’t have another car to rent to him available today as fleet cars are locked and assigned to drivers for multiple months.”

Responding to the Bykea CEO, Nasir said his post reflected Ihsanullah’s statement on oath before the commission and the facts narrated by the driver.

He said the vehicle might have been released to Bykea because police no longer considered it case property or part of the crime scene, adding that alternative arrangements could be explored to protect the driver’s livelihood.