Government to form JIT to investigate killing of journalist Arshad Sharif
The government would form a joint investigation team to investigate the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif, the interior minister said on Tuesday. It would include members of all agencies, except the police.
“They will have the authority and the government will facilitate them that they can include any foreign agency in their investigation and get to actual suspects,” Rana Sanaullah said in an interview with Aaj News.
He had appeared on Asma Shirazi’s show Faisla Apka to speak on the Supreme Court’s decision to register the first information report of the journalist’s murder and political situation.
The investigation into the matter started after Arshad Sharif’s body arrived here, Sanaullah said, adding that the Islamabad police were investigating the matter under Section 174 (police to inquire to report in suicide, etc.) of the Criminal Code of Procedure
In addition to the police’s investigation, he added that a fact-finding committee was also looking into it and their report would be submitted to the Supreme Court.
The apex court, during the case, had directed Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman to submit it by Tuesday so that the hearing could continue on Wednesday.
“The Supreme Court gave permission to register the FIR today, the fact-finding report will become part of it and a JIT will be formed on it,” he said, “we were waiting that the chief justice of Pakistan will form the commission of inquiry today.” Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested the CJP to form a judicial commission on the matter.
Sharif was killed last month when the car he was in sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and police opened fire. Nairobi police expressed regret over the incident, claiming it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a similar car involved in a child abduction case.
Sanaullah said that the committee had contacted suspects, adding that if it was a targeted killing then “Waqar and Khurram” were suspects in the case and they would “prove to be” in the future. “While the presence in Kenya became the reason for the murder of Arshad Sharif and the person who ensured his presence there is Tariq Wasi.”
When the host asked about the famed press conference of DG ISI and DG ISPR in which they revealed that Sharif was in contact with them and the DGC, Sanaullah said that the journalist’s travelling to Dubai or contacts with institutions was a “normal thing”.
“Contacts with someone could not be interpreted until there is any evidence,” the interior minister said and highlighted the slain journalist’s visit to Kenya and being targeted there.
According to Sanaullah, the two suspects above mentioned were involved in the murder and the third person was involved in sending them to the African country.
“There might be possible more people were involved in it but it is not possible that they [three suspects] are not involved in it.
“According to our investigation, the late Arshad Sharif did not even know Waqar and Khurram. So such people became suspects of the murder and killed him and if they involved Kenyan police with themselves then who will be responsible? The same persons will be responsible for who knew him and who were in contact with him and sent them to Arshad Sharif. They are interlinked but things will come out in the investigation,” he said.
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