ISLAMABAD: After the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, 50, purportedly at the hands of Kenyan police near Nairobi sent shockwaves through the nation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday requested Kenyan President William Ruto to conduct an impartial probe into the mysterious shooting which occurred in the small hours of Monday.

The killing of Mr Sharif, who had been in a self-imposed exile, was widely condemned as global and national journalist bodies, politicians, and civil society issued statements denouncing the brutal killing and demanded a fair investigation to ascertain the truth.

Read: Journalism fraternity in disbelief over Arshad Sharif’s killing, calls for ‘transparent inquiry’

The National Assembly passed a resolution seeking a swift probe into the incident that happened 40km from the Kenyan capital. The news of the death was shared by his wife on Twitter, from where it spread like wildfire and remained part of headlines on mainstream and social media.

“I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist [Arshad Sharif] today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” Javeria Siddique wrote.

‘Mistaken identity’

A statement by the Kenyan police termed it a case of ‘mistaken identity’ while expressing deep regret over the tragic shootout. It said Mr Sharif was “fatally wounded by a police officer while a passenger in a motor vehicle” and added that the police at the time had been on the “lookout for a stolen car and an abducted person and had set up a makeshift roadblock”.

“Deceased’s motor vehicle came upon the police barrier which they drove through. It is then that they were shot at fatally injuring Mr Sharif,” the statement claimed. It added police were currently investigating the incident for appropriate action.

Following the report of the killing of the journalist, the Pakistani authorities responded swiftly and approached the Kenyan government for a transparent probe into the shootout and to share the finding of the report. A statement by Prime Minister’s Office said that the premier requested the Kenyan president to fast-track the fulfillment of formalities for returning the body of the late journalist to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, President William Ruto expressed grief over the incident and assured that justice would be served in the matter. He also assured to share the investigation report soon besides accelerating the process of returning the body of the late journalist.

PM Sharif also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior to expedite the repatriation process of the body and also asked the secretaries concerned to remain in touch with the authorities in Kenya.

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan’s High Commission in Kenya was facilitating the “expeditious” repatriation of the mortal remains of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in coordination with the host authorities. After the mission was informed that the body of Mr Sharif was placed in Chiromo Funeral House in Nairobi, the Pakistani high commissioner reached the venue and identified the body. Further procedures including a police report were awaited at the time of filing of this report.

‘Shocking and sad’

The killing which took the nation by surprise was widely condemned and a number of politicians and journalists visited the house of Mr Sharif to offer condolences and express solidarity with the grieving family.

President Arif Alvi, PM Shehbaz Sharif, and the senior government and military officials condemned the killing as they expressed deep grief over the death. “I am deeply saddened by the shocking news of journalist Arshad Sharif’s tragic death,” said PM Shehbaz Sharif.

ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, also expressed sorrow and grief over the brutal killing of Mr Sharif and conveyed sympathies to the bereaved family.

The news of the killing also reverberated in the courtroom of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. In a petition, Shoaib Razzaq urged the IHC CJ to form a judicial commission to dig out the reasons which made Mr Sharif flee Pakistan and later the United Arab Emirates. During the hearing of the petition, Justice Athar Minallah instructed representatives from the foreign and interior ministries to immediately meet the journalist’s family.

US urges Kenya for full inquiry

The United States administration also took notice of the journalist’s killing and urged the Kenyan authorities to hold a thorough investigation into the killing – a demand endorsed by the media advocacy groups.

“We are saddened by the death of Arshad Sharif and encourage a full investigation by the government of Kenya,” a State Department spokesperson told journalists in Washington.

Meanwhile, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), which campaigns for journalists’ rights across the globe, noted that Mr Sharif, “a fierce critic” of its country’s establishment, was shot dead with two bullets last night in Kenya, in “unclear circumstances” and called for an international investigation into this gruesome and utterly disturbing murder”.

His murder was all the more baffling since he had just left his home country to Kenya in order to “escape harassment and arrest,” RSF pointed out,

Another media advocacy group, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sought further details about the incident. “There must be a swift and transparent investigation by authorities into his death, and authorities must release the full details as soon as possible,” CPJ said in a statement.

Noting that it was not immediately clear why Mr Sharif was in Kenya, CPJ too noted that he left Pakistan in August after an arrest warrant was issued following his interview on ARY TV with Shahbaz Gill, a close aide to former prime minister Imran Khan.

Anwar Iqbal in Washington also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2022