- Shehbaz promises to public findings of independent judicial investigation
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced formation of a judicial commission (JC) for an independent judicial investigation into the assassination of Arshad Sharif, an outspoken and professional journalist who was shot and killed by Nairobi police in Kenya on Sunday, and promised to share findings of the investigation with the public.
“I have decided to form a judicial commission to carry out a thorough inquiry into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif to determine and reveal the facts surrounding the tragic incident in a transparent [and] conclusive manner,” Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.
I have decided to form a Judicial Commission to hold an inquiry into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in order to determine the facts of the tragic incident in a transparent & conclusive manner.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 25, 2022
The development, however, came after the murder of the journalist sent shockwaves and anger through the entire and journalist community.
میں نے صحافی ارشد شریف کی اندوہناک موت کی تحقیقات کے لیے جوڈیشل کمیشن بنانے کا فیصلہ کیا ہے تاکہ شفاف اور فیصلہ کن انداز میں اس افسوس ناک واقعہ کے حقائق کا تعین ہو سکے۔
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 25, 2022
The journalists and the international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders have demanded an independent probe into the killing while anchorperson Hamid Mir on Monday noted there were contradictions in the Nairobi police statements about the incident.
Sharif was killed on Sunday night when the car he was in sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital and police opened fire. Nairobi police have expressed regret over the incident, saying it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a similar car involved in a child abduction case.
Just had a telephonic call with Kenyan President William Ruto about the tragic death of Arshad Sharif in 🇰🇪. I requested him to ensure fair & transparent investigation into shocking incident. He promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of return of the body to 🇵🇰
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 24, 2022
When the car in which Sharif was traveling in with another Pakistan resident, Khurram Ahmed, failed to stop — for reasons that remain unclear — despite being flagged down at the checkpoint, the police opened fire and laid chase.
Sharif’s car flipped over; he was shot in the head and killed. His family in Pakistan said that Ahmed, who had initially been identified as Sharif’s brother by the Nairobi police, was not a relative but that he was the driver of the car, according to information they received.
There was speculation that Ahmed was hurt in the incident and taken to hospital but officials in Kenya have not announced any details about Ahmed’s condition and whereabouts.
The 49-year-old journalist fled Pakistan in July amid threats to his life.
‘ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE’ TO BRING BODY HOME
Meanwhile, Sharif’s body is being repatriated to Islamabad on Tuesday, Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of information and broadcasting, said.
A Pakistan plane departed from Kenya earlier on Tuesday, carrying Sharif’s body, and was expected to land in Pakistan later on Tuesday night, Aurangzeb said. On Monday, Shahbaz Sharif also spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto about the incident.
ارشد شریف بھائی کا جسد خاکی نیروبی ایئر پورٹ پر پہنچ گیا۔ کل رات 1 بجے پاکستان میں اسلام آباد ایئر پورٹ پر پہنچیں گے۔ pic.twitter.com/ItLk0A92Np
— Imran Khan (@ImranRiazKhan) October 24, 2022
Pakistan diplomats were in attendance at the Nairobi airport when the plane with Sharif’s remains took off. Later Tuesday, it stopped in Doha, Qatar, before proceeding on to Pakistan. Sharif’s family said his funeral will be held in Islamabad on Thursday.
Sharif left Pakistan in July to avoid arrest following a citizen’s complaint against him on allegations of maligning the military. His whereabouts were not publicly known; most of his relatives and friends knew only that he had spent time in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and London.
A month later, Sharif’s employer — ARY News — fired him, saying he had violated the TV station’s social media policy. His talk show POWERPLAY, which aired on Mondays and Thursdays, was discontinued.
The station had earlier in the year remained critical of the prime minister following the ouster of his predecessor, Imran Khan, in a no-confidence in the parliament in April. Sharif had been a prominent critic of Khan’s ouster.
