Arshad Sharif has been a frequent critic of current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the country’s powerful military establishment
A top Pakistani news anchor has been shot dead in Kenya, his wife said, just months after he fled the country to avoid arrest on sedition charges.
THE Arshad Sharif he was a frequent critic of Pakistan’s current prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, and the country’s powerful military establishment.
He was also a supporter of former prime minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April.
“I have lost my friend, husband and beloved journalist,” his wife, Javeria Siddique, tweeted.
I lost friend, husband and my favorite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya.
Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don’t share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital.
Remember us in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/wP1BJxqP5e— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) October 24, 2022
Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), a civilian watchdog, has launched an investigation into Sharif’s murder, IPOA chairperson Ann Makori told reporters at a press conference today. In August, Sharif interviewed senior opposition politician Shahbaz Gill, who said junior officers in the armed forces should not follow orders that go against the will of the majority.
The comment led to the news channel being briefly suspended and an arrest warrant issued for Sharif, who fled the country. ARY channel later said it had “severed ties” with him.
Pakistan has been ruled by the military for several decades of its 75-year history, and criticism of the security establishment has long been considered a red line.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed the incident.
Earlier this year, a court in Islamabad ordered Pakistan’s intelligence agency and police to stop hunting Sharif after his lawyer petitioned the court, saying his client’s fundamental rights were being violated by security officials.
Pakistan ranks 157th out of 180 countries in a press freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, with journalists facing censorship and intimidation.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
