Former Prime Minister Imran Khan is politicking over the tragic killing of journalist and PTI ideologue Arshad Sharif. The government has now appointed a high-powered JIT to unravel the mystery.
By Naveed Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: The authorities’ move to appoint a three-member joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif has raised hopes of uncovering the circumstances leading to the tragic incident.
The shooting death of Sharif, who reportedly died in a hail of bullets in mysterious circumstances in Kenya earlier this week, has become a flashpoint in Pakistan because former Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said it was a target killing, although he stopps short of naming any names.
As well as being a prominent anchor and journalist, Sharif was a key ideologue and propagandist of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. He deftly leveraged his shows as well as his social media presence to push the agenda – and spread the propaganda – of PTI.
On Tuesday, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that a high-level three-member investigation team has been formed to find out the facts related to the murder.
According to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the investigation team includes senior officers of FIA and intelligence agencies.
The investigation team will immediately leave for Kenya and investigate the Arshad Sharif murder case. The final report will be submitted to the Ministry of Interior.
The Interior Minister said that the investigation team will examine the role of a person linked to a private channel in Pakistan in connection with the gold smuggling business in Kenya in the Arshad Sharif case.
The Interior Minister said that the investigation team will examine the complete reasons and motivations behind Arshad Sharif’s departure from Pakistan to Dubai and then from Dubai to Kenya.
He said that after the confession of a political figure, the investigation team will also examine the factors that forced Arshad Sharif to travel from Pakistan to Dubai and then to Kenya. He was referring to Imran Khan’s claim that he persuaded Sharif to leave Pakistan in view of what he calls threats to his life in the country.
According to the Minister of Interior, the investigation team will prepare an independent report based on the information and evidence obtained from the Kenyan police and other sources and submit it to the Ministry of Interior.
According to notification, Director Federal Investigation Bureau (FIA) Athar Waheed, Deputy Director General Investigation Bureau (IB) Shahid Hamid and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant Colonel Saad Ahmed will join the investigation team.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected the request to immediately form an judicial commission to investigate Sharif’s murder.
In the Islamabad High Court, Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the request for the formation of a fact-finding commission to investigate Arshad Sharif’s murder.
The Deputy Attorney General said that this is a sad incident. We are waiting for a report from the Government of Kenya. If they have any objection to it, then the case should be heard further.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah, giving instructions, said that journalistic organizations should be kept on board on the matter of investigation. He said there will be no advantage in creating a commission at this stage.
Later, the court adjourned further hearing of the case for a week.
Early reports from Kenyan media claimed that the killing of Arshad Sharif was the result of a mistaken identity by the police. The police claimed that Arshad Sharif and his driver allegedly violated a blockade and were shot at by a police party.
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