ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday threw its weight behind the five-member Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) constituted to ensure “effective foreign liaison” regarding the probe into the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif.

“We are not interested in any way, except facilitating the team,” observed Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial while heading a five-member bench that had taken initiated suo motu proceedings on the killing of Mr Sharif.

The court intended to see a transparent investigation into the incident, the CJP observed. He asked the team to furnish an interim report about the investigation preferably within a fortnight for the perusal of the judges in their chambers. The case will again be taken up in the first week of Jan.

In case, the special JIT experienced any hardship in the pursuit of the assigned task, they may directly approach the CJP office for facilitation, the court order said.

SC asks investigation team to furnish interim report within a fortnight

Five-member SJIT

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Aamir Rehman informed the court that DIG Headquarters Islamabad, Awais Ahmad, would be the convenor of the special JIT and added that all officers were Grade 20 officers.

Other members of the team included Muhammad Aslam, a representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Murtaza Afzal from the Military Intelligence (MI), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing Director Waqaruddin Syed, and Intelligence Bureau Director General Sajid Kiyani.

The interior ministry constituted the team for effective foreign liaison and collection of evidence in multiple national and international jurisdictions. Besides Islamabad Police’s Senior Superintendent Police (Investigation), his team and relevant officers of the police will assist the team in the collection of evidence, the court was informed.

The office of the Capital Police Officer will act as the secretariat for the SJIT meetings, which, according to AAG, will commence soon.

The AAG also assured the court that Interpol would also be contacted for the extradition of any suspect if needed and added the Islamabad police chief had also tried to meet the mother of the deceased to record her statement.

The CJP expressed the court’s willingness to talk to the government if funds were not provided to SJIT. When Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar inquired about the timeline to conclude the investigation, the AAG explained that no final date could be given since it depended on the cooperation of the Kenyan authorities.

FO response

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Pakistan’s missions in Nairobi and Dubai were corresponding frequently with Kenyan and Emirati authorities for facilitating and furthering the investigation.

The Foreign Office has already established contact with the relevant Kenyan authorities and reached out at the highest political level, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directly spoken with the president of Kenya, requesting assistance in the process of investigation, it said in a response submitted to the court.

The Foreign Office is concurrently evaluating avenues that may be explored with international organisations which may advance the process of investigation in the case, it added.

The report said the Foreign Office was considering different measures, like sending a special envoy to Kenya, to raise this matter with the relevant local authorities, arranging a telephone call between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his Kenyan counterpart to follow up on the discussions between PM Sharif and his Kenyan president.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2022