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Arshad Sharif, 50, left Pakistan in July to keep away from arrest over criticizing the South Asian nation’s highly effective navy. He was additionally a critic of the federal government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who has repeatedly mentioned he believes in freedom of the media.
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, in response to a authorities assertion.
Nairobi police mentioned Arshad Sharif was shot within the head and killed Sunday evening after the automotive he was in along with his brother, Khurram Ahmed, drove via a roadblock arrange on the Nairobi-Magadi freeway to examine autos alongside the important thing route. They had been touring from the city of Magadi to the Kenyan capital.
The 2 ignored police orders to cease and sped up. “They didn’t cease and proceeded with the journey,” the police mentioned. Police opened fireplace and laid chase, throughout which the automotive flipped over.
Sharif’s spouse Javeria Siddique confirmed that her husband was killed in Kenya. His brother’s situation was not instantly identified.
Sharif left Pakistan in July to keep away from arrest following a citizen’s criticism towards him on allegations of maligning the nation’s nationwide establishments, a reference to the navy. His whereabouts weren’t publicly identified; most of his associates knew solely that he had hung out in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and London.
Nairobi police mentioned the Unbiased Policing Oversight Authority will take over the case for additional investigation.
“We had an incident of capturing which turned (out) to be a case of mistaken identification involving a journalist. We are going to launch extra info later,” a senior Kenyan police officer mentioned earlier, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not approved to talk to the media.
In keeping with police, the roadblock was set as much as discover and intercept a automotive much like Sharif’s following a carjacking within the Pangani space of Nairobi, the place a baby was taken hostage.
Pakistani President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Sharif, who is just not associated to the slain journalist, the nation’s navy and different senior officers in Pakistan expressed their condolences.
A month after he left Pakistan, the personal ARY Tv fired Arshad Sharif, saying he had repeatedly criticized the navy on social media in violation of the TV station’s coverage. His speak present POWERPLAY, which aired on Mondays and Thursdays, was discontinued.
The station had earlier within the 12 months remained vital of Pakistan’s prime minister following the ouster of his predecessor, Imran Khan, in a no-confidence within the parliament in April. Khan claims he was ousted below a U.S. plot, a cost each Washington and the Pakistani authorities deny.
On Monday, Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf social gathering and its senior leaders, together with Fawad Chaudhry, condemned Sharif’s killing and demanded an in depth investigation. Khan additionally visited Sharif’s residence in Islamabad to specific his condolences to the household.
Afterward Monday, dozens of journalists 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 impartial probe into the incident, saying there have been contradictions within the assertion of Kenyan police. His demand got here after Kenyan police expressed remorse and provided condolences to the journalist’s household.
A court docket in Islamabad in August requested Pakistan’s intelligence company and police to cease harassing Sharif after the journalist, via his lawyer, petitioned the court docket, saying his basic rights had been being violated by safety forces. Police and the federal government on the time confirmed that Sharif is being sought in a criticism case however mentioned no motion had been carried out to arrest Sharif.
Ahmed reported from Islamabad.
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