Leading Pakistani investigative journalist and known for his criticism of the government, Arshad Sharif was shot to death in Nairobi when the car he was in drove through a police roadblock without stopping, prompting local officers to fire. The information was released in a report by Kenyan security forces on Monday (24).
The incident took place at 10 pm on Sunday (local time), on the outskirts of the capital. According to the report, the police had formed a roadblock with small stones to catch car thieves. But Sharif’s vehicle, driven by a relative of his, drove nonstop through the blockade, even after agents opened fire. Nine bullets hit the car, and a projectile hit the journalist in the head.
An official told local newspaper The Star that the episode was being treated as a case of mistaken identity. The circumstances surrounding the death of Sharif, who was for many years the anchor of an Ary news program, sparked widespread outrage in Pakistan and calls for an investigation to be opened.
Sharif had fled the country in August, first to Dubai and then to Kenya, alleging threats and persecution by the state, which had ordered his arrest. He was a fierce opponent of the country’s mighty army, and a well-known supporter of former prime minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in parliament in April.
One of the government’s court charges against the journalist is of sedition, and it concerns an interview he conducted with Shahbaz Gill, a close ally of Khan, also in August. In it, the veteran opposition politician made comments considered offensive to the military.
After the interview, Gill was arrested — Khan himself had to appear in court for criticizing the decision. Meanwhile, Ary was temporarily taken off the air by the government on the grounds of transmitting false information that encouraged hatred and unrest. The channel later said it had “broken ties” with its anchor, one of the network’s top prime-time names.
Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority, a civilian watchdog, has launched an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the journalist’s death, the organization’s president, Ann Makori, said at a press conference on Monday.
Khan’s successor as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif said on Twitter that he spoke by phone with Kenyan President William Ruto about Sharif’s death. “I asked him to ensure a fair and transparent investigation of this disturbing incident. He promised full cooperation, including speeding up the process of returning the body,” wrote the prime minister – who, despite his surname, is not related to the victim.
Pakistan’s foreign minister also said that its high commissioner in Kenya was in contact with the local police, and that the ministry awaits the submission of the report from the local security forces.
Sharif’s death prompted officials, journalists and others to react heavily on Pakistan’s social media. Former Prime Minister Khan said the journalist was killed because of his work, and was yet another call for an investigation into the case.
Pakistan ranks 157th out of 180 on the Reporters Without Borders free speech index, and its journalists face constant censorship and threats from the elite.
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