ISLAMABAD: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar has called for a thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif adding that it was unfortunate that people were making false and baseless accusations against the armed forces using the incident.
DG ISPR said in a statement that the military had already requested the government to probe the unfortunate incident as well as who forced him to flee the country and who was the beneficiary of the baseless accusation over the incident.
He said that the practice of accusing state institution and propagating concocted stories by pinpointing the institution should be stopped.
He said Arshad Sharif had covered all the Army operations launched to weed out terrorism in the country.
“This needs to be thoroughly investigated. We all are aware that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had talked to the Kenyan president. The two governments are in constant contact. We are receiving the details,” he added.
DG ISPSR said that speculations and accusations using the incident were regretful.
Earlier, the military has written a letter to the federal government to form an inquiry commission on the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif.
“A detailed investigation should be conducted into the death of Arshad Sharif. Legal action should be taken against accusers,” said the letter.
Just moments before the letter, the federal government decided to form a judicial commission to investigate the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif.
“The prime minister has decided to make the judicial commission under the supervision of a high court judge. The civil society head and members from the journalist fraternity can be part of it,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.
“The premier has made the decision to ascertain the facts [around the incident],” she said.
“This is very depressing. Before departing to Saudi Arabia on Monday asked the Kenyan president to send us the investigative report and assist us in sending the body to Pakistan and he assured me of providing all-out support,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a recorded video statement from the kingdom.
“Today, I have decided that this incident will be probed by a commission for a transparent investigation,” he said and explained that it would be headed by a high court judge. Such a proposal would be presented before the federal cabinet soon.
“This is more depressing and it should be probed and facts should be brought in front of the people.”
This comes hours after the Islamabad High Court adjourned the hearing of a case for a week in which barrister Shoaib Razzaq urged the court to form a fact-finding commission to investigate the journalist’s killing.
“There will be no point in creating a commission at this stage,” IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said and directed the government to keep the journalist organisations updated on the inquiry into the matter.
Sharif, who hosted ARY News’ show Power Play, was killed in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi on Sunday night. His death shocked everyone in Pakistan after it was reported at around 3am on Monday. He went into self-exile after a show in which PTI leader Shahbaz Gill made “controversial remarks”.
The Kenyan police admitted later on Monday that the journalist was killed in a “case of mistaken identity”, raising several questions over the incident.
“NPS regrets to announce an incident that occurred last night (…) where a foreign national namely Arshad Muhammad Sharif was fatally wounded by a police officer,” the Kenyan police said in a statement on Twitter, adding that the incident followed the circulation of a stolen motor vehicle.
Arshad Sharif’s body will be flown to Pakistan from Kenya today (Tuesday) and is expected to reach the country from Qatar at 11pm. He would be laid to rest in Islamabad’s H-11 graveyard on Thursday.
The PTI has planned to demonstrate a massive show of power on the occasion and the federal government was preparing for the protest.
Sindh police and FC contingents have been stationed in Islamabad in order to deal with the situation. Around 6,000 police personnel are staying at police line headquarters, while 2,666 FC men are being housed in the veranda of Faisal Mosque and Haji camp.
When a reporter from Sharif’s former organisation asked US State Department spokesperson Ned Price about America’s message to the Pakistani leadership to fulfill their commitments regarding press freedom on Monday, he called for a full investigation.
“We’re deeply saddened by the death of Arshad Sharif. We encourage a full investigation by the Government of Kenya into his death. It’s not entirely clear that we know all the circumstances at this point regarding what led to his death, but we do urge a full investigation,” he said.
He expressed condolences to Sharif’s colleagues, his loved ones, and family members. “We’re deeply saddened by the death of Arshad Sharif.”
Citizen TV Kenya, a news channel, reported that deep inside Magadi in Kajiado County, sits Kwenia farm, located 40km off Magadi road where Sharif was said to be frequent.
The farm owned by Sharif’s friend hosts a hotel and a shooting range. Sharif left Kwenia farm while in the company of his brother Khurram Ahmed on October 23, the staff who work there said.
