A senior Pakistani journalist dwelling in hiding in Kenya was once shot and killed via police after the auto he was once in accelerated as an alternative of halting at a roadblock close to Nairobi, the police mentioned on Monday. Kenyan police expressed be apologetic about over the incident, announcing it was once a case of “incorrect identification” all over a seek for the same automobile considering a case of kid abduction.
Arshad Sharif, 50, left Pakistan in July to keep away from arrest over criticizing the South Asian nation’s tough army. He was once additionally a critic of the federal government of Top Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who has again and again mentioned he believes in freedom of the media.
Unidentified Pakistani embassy officers communicate to a police officer on the Chiromo Mortuary, following the killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif who was once shot lifeless when police opened fireplace at the car because it went thru a roadblock with out preventing, in Magadi street at the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, October 24, 2022. (REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)
On Monday, Sharif spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto and requested him to make sure a good and clear investigation into the journalist’s killing, consistent with a central authority observation.
Nairobi police mentioned Arshad Sharif was once shot within the head and killed Sunday night time after the auto he was once in along with his brother, Khurram Ahmed, drove thru a roadblock arrange at the Nairobi-Magadi freeway to test cars alongside the important thing direction. They had been touring from the city of Magadi to the Kenyan capital.
The 2 neglected police orders to forestall and accelerated. “They didn’t forestall and proceeded with the adventure,” the police mentioned. Police opened fireplace and laid chase, all over which the auto flipped over.
Sharif’s spouse Javeria Siddique showed that her husband was once killed in Kenya. His brother’s situation was once no longer straight away recognized.
Sharif left Pakistan in July to keep away from arrest following a citizen’s grievance towards him on allegations of maligning the rustic’s nationwide establishments, a connection with the army. His whereabouts weren’t publicly recognized; maximum of his buddies knew most effective that he had hung out in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and London.
Nairobi police mentioned the Impartial Policing Oversight Authority will take over the case for additional investigation.
“We had an incident of taking pictures which became (out) to be a case of incorrect identification involving a journalist. We can liberate additional info later,” a senior Kenyan police officer mentioned previous, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of he was once no longer licensed to talk to the media.
Consistent with police, the roadblock was once set as much as to find and intercept a automobile very similar to Sharif’s following a carjacking within the Pangani house of Nairobi, the place a kid was once taken hostage.
Pakistani President Arif Alvi, Top Minister Sharif, who isn’t associated with the slain journalist, the rustic’s army and different senior officers in Pakistan expressed their condolences.
A month after he left Pakistan, the non-public ARY Tv fired Arshad Sharif, announcing he had again and again criticized the army on social media in violation of the TV station’s coverage. His communicate display POWERPLAY, which aired on Mondays and Thursdays, was once discontinued.
The station had previous within the yr remained crucial of Pakistan’s top minister following the ouster of his predecessor, Imran Khan, in a no-confidence within the parliament in April. Khan claims he was once ousted below a US plot, a fee each Washington and the Pakistani govt deny.
On Monday, Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf celebration and its senior leaders, together with Fawad Chaudhry, condemned Sharif’s killing and demanded an in depth investigation. Khan additionally visited Sharif’s place of abode in Islamabad to precise his condolences to the circle of relatives.
In a while Monday, dozens of reporters rallied in Islamabad over the killing and demanded justice for Sharif. “We don’t consider the model of the Kenyan police,” veteran journalist Hamid Mir mentioned on the rally. He demanded an unbiased probe into the incident, announcing there have been contradictions within the observation of Kenyan police. His call for got here after Kenyan police expressed be apologetic about and introduced condolences to the journalist’s circle of relatives.
A court docket in Islamabad in August requested Pakistan’s intelligence company and police to forestall harassing Sharif after the journalist, thru his legal professional, petitioned the court docket, announcing his elementary rights had been being violated via safety forces.
Police and the federal government on the time showed that Sharif is being sought in a grievance case however mentioned no motion were performed to arrest Sharif.
