Dawn's Senior Assistant Editor Murtaza Razvi found murdered

KARACHI: Murtaza Razvi, senior assistant editor (head of Dawn Magazines), was murdered in the DHA area of Karachi during the early hours on Thursday. Police said that the body was found from an office flat in DHA. There are reports that the crime scene has been sealed by the police. According to a Dawn statement, the body bore torture marks and the hands were tied. It appeared that Razvi had been strangled to death, but police have said that the real cause of death will be established after the post-mortem.

The body was found by his wife and artist Shahid Rassam in the latter’s studio. Razvi’s body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for an autopsy. He was reported missing by his wife when he did not come home on Wednesday night. Razvi’s family has said that he did not have any personal enmities and have requested that the media not speculate till the police has apprehended the killer(s).

Razvi is survived by his wife and three daughters. His funeral prayers will be held at Jama Masjid Yasrab in DHA Phase IV, after Friday prayers on April 20, 2012. He was a well-known columnist and political analyst who served as as a resident editor for Dawn, Lahore from 2005 to 2007. He also authored two books, ‘Musharraf: the years in power’, a political biography of former president Parvez Musharraf, as well as ‘Ordinary People’ which comprised interviews with ordinary citizens of Pakistan about history, society and culture. Razvi held a master’s degrees in Ancient Indian and Islamic History from the University of Punjab, Lahore and Political Science & International Relations from the US.