July 9, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE
In the case of journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder, a Kenyan high court ruled on July 8 that the Kenyan law enforcement authorities acted unlawfully and violated his right to life. The court awarded 10 million shillings ($78,000) in compensation to his widow.
Sharif’s widow, Javeria Siddique, while talking to Voicepk, said she was grateful to the Kenyan judiciary. She said had expected a quicker resolution in Kenya than in Pakistan and had not demanded compensation but was awarded $78,000. She thanked journalist organizations in Pakistan for their support in pursuing the murder case and expressed hope for a swift decision from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
TV anchor Arshad Sharif, known for his critical stance against agencies and politicians, had fled Pakistan seeking safety abroad. He was killed in Kenya on October 23, 2022.
The July 8 judgment issued by the High Court of Kenya in Kajiado came in response to a petition by Siddique. The court, in a ruling by Judge S.N. Mutuku, stated that the killing was “arbitrary, un-proportionate, unlawful, and unconstitutional.”
The judgment detailed that on October 23, 2022, Sharif, described as an investigative journalist in self-imposed exile in Kenya, was shot by police officers in Kajiado County. The police claimed it was a case of mistaken identity while trailing a stolen vehicle.
“Now I must begin my work in getting justice from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, where the case of my husband’s murder has been pending since Justice Umar Ata Bandial retired,” Siddique said.
A five-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, was constituted in December 2022 to hear a suo moto notice case regarding Sharif’s murder. Notices were issued to various officials, including the interior secretary, DG FIA, and the attorney general for Pakistan.
A two-member fact-finding team from the IB and FIA submitted a report to the Supreme Court in December 2022, concluding that Sharif’s murder was a “planned targeted assassination” involving “transnational characters.” The 592-page report contested the Kenyan police’s version of mistaken identity, highlighting inconsistencies and pointing to involvement from entities in Kenya, Dubai, and Pakistan.
Key findings included the impossibility of Sharif’s head injury based on the Kenyan police’s account, suggestions of close-range shooting, and the suspicious handling of Sharif’s belongings by his Kenyan host. The report also noted missing nails from Sharif’s fingers, raising torture suspicions, though no concrete evidence was found.
The report emphasized that Sharif’s killing was a targeted assassination rather than a case of mistaken identity, with little cooperation from UAE authorities. It also highlighted threats from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and multiple FIRs against Sharif in Pakistan.