Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for an impartial international inquiry into the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif. The global media watchdog cited United Nations special rapporteurs who criticized the Pakistani and Kenyan governments for their failure to cooperate and conduct a thorough investigation.
Arshad Sharif, associated with ARY News, was fatally shot in Nairobi in October the previous year. Initial reports suggested a case of “mistaken identity,” but later accounts implicated an occupant in Sharif’s car in firing at paramilitary officers. RSF had accused both countries of uncooperative behavior earlier.
The UN special rapporteurs expressed deep concern about death threats and legal actions against Sharif, calling for an end to the criminalization and harassment of journalists. They highlighted a broader trend of intimidation against journalists critical of state institutions in Pakistan and criticized the lack of clarity in investigations. RSF noted the UN rapporteurs’ condemnation of inconsistencies and biases in both countries’ investigations and emphasized the need for an independent international probe to establish the facts surrounding Sharif’s murder.
According to Arnaud Froger, head of RSF’s investigation desk, the UN letters were unequivocal, indicating a clear lack of will from Kenya and Pakistan to determine the circumstances of the journalist’s murder and identify those responsible.
Government Response to UN’s Letter
The Government of Pakistan has responded to the UN rapporteurs’ October letter, and the reply, dated December 2, is accessible on the UN Human Rights Office’s website. The government expressed its full determination to pursue the murder case and ensure accountability for those responsible. It highlighted close collaboration with Kenyan authorities, emphasizing the need for their cooperation to conclude the case.
The response outlined measures taken, including the Supreme Court’s suo motu notice, the formation of a special joint investigation team (SJIT), and the submission of five progress reports to the apex court. It stated that the SJIT’s phases related to the investigation in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates were a “work in progress,” contingent on the cooperation of these two countries.
The Case
Arshad Sharif had left Pakistan in August 2022 after facing multiple sedition cases. He initially stayed in the UAE before going to Kenya, where he was murdered. The government formed a team to investigate the killing, submitting a progress report to the Supreme Court in March. The case was discussed in an unprecedented conference in October, with ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and former ISPR DG Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar addressing the journalist’s killing.
In December 2022, the Islamabad police registered an FIR against the murder on the Supreme Court’s orders. The complaint, lodged by the SHO of Ramna police station, named Waqar Ahmed, Khurram Ahmed, and Tariq Ahmed Wasi as the accused. The FIR invoked Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, stating that the murder occurred in Kenya on October 23. The postmortem report attributed Sharif’s death to gunshot wounds.
In September, an Islamabad district and sessions court halted proceedings in the case due to a “lack of interest” from the prosecution. The decision raised questions about the registration of the FIR by the police instead of Sharif’s family members. Sharif’s wife, Siddique, had asserted that only his mother could lodge the FIR.
