Senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif was shot dead by the Kenyan police Sunday night in a “mistaken identity” case.
Arshad Sharif while travelling to Nairobi from the country’s Magadi town was shot dead the Kenyan newspaper told The Star reported citing law enforcement officials. “We had an incident of shooting which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity involving a journalist. We will release more information later,” a police officer told The Star.
The report published on its website stated that Sharif was shot in the head and killed by police after he and his driver allegedly breached a checkpoint. The Star reported that Sharif was ordered to stop for identification but his driver allegedly drove past the checkpoint. This led to a brief chase and shooting that left the journalist dead, it added.
The Kenyan publication said that Sharif’s driver was injured and taken to hospital. It added that the driver told the law enforcement officials that he and Sharif were developers and headed for a site in Magadi. The police headquarters said that Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority will investigate the case.
At the same time, a senior police officer shared that a comprehensive statement would be released later. Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has confirmed that the body of Arshad Sharif, the slain Pakistani senior journalist, has been identified in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. “Pakistan High Commissioner, Kenyan police authorities, and doctors are currently in the mortuary, where Sharif’s body has been kept,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over the death of the journalist and said that the Pakistani government is in contact with Kenyan authorities in this regard.
“The unbelievable incident of journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder is extremely shocking and an irreparable loss to the journalist community of Pakistan.” “I offer my condolences to journalist Arshad Sharif’s family, journalist community, and his fans,” said the foreign minister.
Following the news of Sharif’s death, condolences started pouring in from across the country. President Arif Alvi termed Sharif’s death a “great loss to journalism and Pakistan”. “May his soul rest in peace and may his family, which includes his followers, have the strength to bear this loss,” tweeted the president. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sadness over the “shocking news of journalist Arshad Sharif’s tragic death”. “May Allah SWT grant him a place in Heaven. My deep condolences and prayers for the bereaved family,” he said.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said they are deeply aggrieved over the unexpected death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif. “May Allah elevate him to higher heavenly status,” the military said. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also demanded a transparent inquiry into the circumstances of the journalist’s untimely unfortunate death.
Arshad Sharif was a prominent Pakistani investigative journalist critical of the country’s powerful military was killed in Kenya nearly two months after he left Pakistan.
“I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” Javeria Siddique tweeted about her husband Arshad Sharif’s death on Sunday night.