Senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif was shot dead by the Kenyan police Sunday night in a “mistaken identity” case while he was travelling to Nairobi from the country’s Magadi town.
Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Kenya Anne Makori held a press conference on Monday and confirmed that on the evening of October 23, a Pakistani journalist, named Arshad Sharif, 50, was shot by the Kenyan police within the limits of Kajiado County. “There’s an alleged police killing of a Pakistani national at Tinga market, Kajiado county, last evening. Our rapid response team has already been dispatched,” she said, adding that a probe related to the incident is underway and that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority will carry out a transparent investigation into the killing of Sharif.
A press statement was also released by the Office of the Inspector-General National Police Service in Nairobi, Kenya, in which details related to the incident were provided. “NPS regrets to announce an incident last night along Kwenia farm/ Kamukuru maram road with Magadi, Kajiado, where a foreign national namely Arshad Muhammad Sharif, aged 50, was fatally wounded by a police officer while a passenger in a motor vehicle KDG 200M. At the time of the incident, the deceased was in the company of his brother namely Khurram Ahmed.” “Incident follows a circulation from Pangani Police of a stolen motor vehicle. The officers trailing the motor vehicle towards Magadi alerted police in Magadi who erected a road barrier,” the statement added.
“Deceased’s motor vehicle came upon the police barrier which they drove through. It is then they were shot at, fatally injuring late Arshad Muhammad Sharif.” “National Police Service regrets this unfortunate incident. Competent authorities are currently investigating the incident for appropriate action. The Ag. inspector-General on behalf of the Service condoles with the family and friends of the deceased.”
On Monday morning, Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddiqui took to Twitter and confirmed the news of his demise, acknowledging that her husband was shot in Kenya. She also asked people to respect the privacy of the family and refrain from sharing the family pictures on social and other media. Before the confirmation from his wife, reports were doing rounds that Sharif had died in an accident. Earlier in the day, a petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the formation of a panel to ascertain the facts behind Sharif’s death.
Petitioner Barrister Shoaib Razzaq sought the formation of a commission to determine under which circumstances Sharif had fled the country. He also urged the court to issue orders to bring the body of the journalist back to Pakistan. During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked the petitioner where the body of the journalist was currently. At this, the judge was told by the lawyer that it was in Nairobi, Kenya.
Following this, the judge issued notices to the interior and foreign secretaries. He also ordered officials from both ministries to meet the journalist’s family and submit a report by Tuesday (today).
