SC directs govt to register case of Arshad Sharif’s killing

A five-member bench headed by CJP conduct hearing.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed federal government to register FIR of journalist Arshad Sharif’s killing.

A larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, conducted hearing on the suo moto.

During the hearing, the chief justice asked that why report of the fact finding committee has not been provided to the court as yet.

On this, the additional attorney general informed the court that Interior Minister was in Faisalabad when the report was received. “The report will be handed over to the SC once Sanaullah peruses it,” he said.

“Does the interior minister have to make changes to the report?” the CJP asked, adding that the court could also summon Rana Sanaullah.

“A journalist was killed. It should be revealed who was behind the killing,” the CJP remarked. The additional attorney general responded by saying the report would be submitted by tomorrow. However, the CJP told him to submit it today so the hearing could continue tomorrow.

CJP Bandial also termed Sharif’s medical report unsatisfactory.

Earlier in the day, the apex court took suo moto notice of renowned journalist Arshad Sharif’s killing in Kenya and said the journalist community in the country and the public at large are deeply distressed and are concerned about the death of the senior journalist and are seeking the court’s scrutiny of the matter.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have penned separate letters to the CJP asking him to conduct an independent judicial inquiry into the killing of the journalist.

Arshad Sharif was allegedly killed by Kenyan police after he and his driver had driven through a police checkpoint in outskirts of Nairobi.

However, autopsy showed that Arshad Sharif was shot from far too close a range compared to what was being claimed by Kenyan police.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also said journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in a “targeted attack”, stating that no evidence was found to support the narrative that he was shot dead in a case of “mistaken identity”.

“Prima facie, it is a targeted murder as the narrative of ‘mistaken identity’ has not been proven […] and there are many doubts,” he said, adding that further information would only emerge after a detailed investigation was conducted.