JEE News reported on Wednesday that the Ministry of Interior has constituted an investigation team to investigate the murder of renowned journalist Arshad Sharif. The Ministry has issued a notification in this regard.
On 23 October, Sharif was shot dead by Kenyan police in a case of “mistaken identity” while traveling from Magadi, Kenya, to Nairobi.
Officers from FIA, IB and ISI are part of the three-member investigation team.
FIA Director Athar Waheed, Deputy Director General IB Shahid Hamid and ISI Lt Col Saad Ahmed are part of the investigation team.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the investigation team will immediately leave for Kenya and submit its report to the Ministry.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistani High Commission in Kenya will assist the team.
The Kenyan police have admitted in their report that Arshad Sharif was shot in the head in a case of mistaken identity.
Arshad Sharif’s dead body was brought to Islamabad on Wednesday morning. His family received his body at Islamabad Airport.
My husband @arsched coming back to home in coffin.
— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) October 25, 2022
Authorities in Kenya are answerable to us.#JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/aDXdG16EhR
The family announced that his funeral prayers will be offered at Shah Faisal Masjid Islamabad on Thursday at 2 pm. Later, he will be laid to rest at the H-11 cemetery in the federal capital.
Arshad Was Targeted To Silence The Truth, Imran Khan
Addressing a lawyers’ convention in Peshawar on Tuesday, PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed that the slain journalist Arshad Sharif was targeted for killing.
“Whatever anyone says, I know that Arshad Sharif was a victim of target killing,” Khan said.
I was informed that Sharif would be killed to silence the truth.
The former prime minister also claimed that Sharif was receiving threats from unknown numbers.
“I asked him to leave the country, but he didn’t listen,” shared Khan, adding that he considered Sharif to be the most respected figure in journalism.
Pakistan Army Is Demanding High Level Investigation.
The Pakistani army on Tuesday asked the government to conduct a high-level investigation into the tragic killing of the journalist.
Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said that we have requested a high-level inquiry from the government to stop all these speculations.
“All aspects of this horrific incident need to be looked at.”
Responding to a question regarding allegations of alleged involvement of agencies in the killing of Sharif in Kenya, the DG ISPR said: “It is very unfortunate that people are making allegations without any evidence so that they can be backed up … and I think there should be a full investigation to deal with these things.”
Kenya Police Account of Arshad Sharif’s Death
Kenyan police claimed responsibility, saying Sharif was shot dead when police, tracking a jacked-up car, mistook the journalist’s car for a stolen one and fired indiscriminately at him. A Kenyan police report said they suspected the car was a simple hostage as it drove through a human barricade without stopping.
Government Is In Contact With Kenyan Authorities: FO
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the government is actively working with Kenyan authorities at multiple levels for the early repatriation of Sharif’s body.
Pakistan has also asked Kenya to formally launch an investigation into the incident.
Acting Foreign Secretary Raza Bashir Tarar has also met the Kenyan High Commissioner in Islamabad to highlight the importance of the issue.
Tarar informed the honorable members of the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly about the progress.
