IHC rejects plea seeking Judicial Commission to probe Arshad Sharif killing case
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday rejected the petition to form a judicial commission to investigate the ‘mistaken identity’ killing of senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif by Kenyan Police.
Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Athar Minallah heard the request for the formation of a fact-finding commission to investigate Arshad Sharif’s murder.
CJ IHC Athar Minallah while hearing the case said that, “today I have come only to hear this case.”
The Chief Justice inquired whether anyone had visited his family to ask about any support they needed.
“The body of Arshad Sharif will arrive today, we request that a judicial commission be formed to investigate the murder as the PML-N government had asked the UAE government to deport Arshad Sharif,” Barrister Shoaib Razzaq said.
The Deputy Attorney General said that the case should be heard further after the final report of Kenyan government.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah while giving instructions said that journalistic organizations should be kept on board on the matter of investigation.
“There will be no benefit of forming a commission at this initial stage,” CJ IHC said.
Later, the court adjourned further hearing of the case for a week.
Arshad Sharif shot dead in ‘mistaken identity’
Earlier, Kenyan police confirmed senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif was shot dead by the police in a ‘mistaken identity’ case while travelling to Nairobi from the country’s Magadi town.
According to foreign media, Arshad Sharif was shot in the head by Kenyan police near Nairobi after his driver allegedly breached a road block.
The publication, citing police, said that the manned roadblock had received information to intercept a car similar to the Sharif’s car, following a carjacking incident in Nairobi in which a child was allegedly taken hostage.
Background:
Senior Pakistani journalist, writer, anchorperson Arshad Sharif has been brutally shot down Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.
Taking to Twitter Arshad Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddique said, “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist Arshad Sharif today, as per police he was shot in Kenya.”
In her tweet, she appealed, “Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking please don’t share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital.”
