IHC says ‘premature’ to form commission on Arshad Sharif’s death

Rejecting the request to form a fact finding commission on the assassination of senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif in Kenya, Chief Justice (CJ) of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah on Tuesday said there was no use of forming a commission at this stage of the case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

“Indeed this was an unfortunate incident. I have come to the court today only because of Arshad’s case. We should have trust in the government. I am sure that journalists’ bodies will take up the issue before the government,” he remarked during the hearing of the petition, seeking constitution of a commission to find out reasons of the murder of the journalist that made headlines not only in Pakistan, but also in other countries of the world. 

Underscoring the fact that the murder of a senior journalist was not an ordinary incident, the CJ urged the government to look into it since it was in a better position to probe it.  

Barrister Shoaib Razzaq, the petitioner, appeared in the court.

Justice Minallah asked him whether anybody had visited late Arshad’s place to meet with his family. “Do they need any kind of support?” he inquired.

Barrister informed him that the body of the deceased would reach Pakistan at 1:00 AM tonight. 

The petitioner further said that both concerned ministries had fully cooperated with him and Arshad’s family.

He went on to say that the government had requested the authorities in the UAE to deport the journalist to Pakistan when he went there after receiving death threats in the country.   

The CJ then adjourned hearing of the case until next week. 

Senior journalist Arshad Sharif was shot dead in the outskirts of Kenya’s Nairobi city on Sunday.

Police in Kenya confirmed his death and opened an investigation.

Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddiqui took to Twitter to confirm the tragic news, acknowledging that her husband was killed in Kenya.

“I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist [Arshad Sharif] today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” she tweeted.

She also urged the media and the public not to share their family pictures, personal details, and Sharif’s last pictures from the hospital on social media.

Sharif was previously associated with ARY News and had gone to Dubai after resigning from the channel. He had worked for country’s top news channels and newspapers in the past. He was awarded ‘Presidential Pride of Performance’ for his exceptional journalism in the year 2019.

Reporter: Ehtisham Kiyani