Sunday, the leader of an investigative committee appointed to investigate journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder declared the body couldn’t continue.
On the evening of October 23, Sharif was reportedly murdered in Kenya by members of the local police force. An official police statement issued later expressed “regrets on the unfortunate incident” and said that an investigation was now being conducted into the matter.
Initially, the local police were cited in the Kenyan media as reporting that Sharif was killed by police due to a “mistaken identity,” and the media in Kenya reported this information.
Kenyan media subsequently reported that one occupant in Sharif’s vehicle at the time of his assassination fired at paramilitary GSU police.
A federal team investigated the killing. Initially, a three-member panel included FIA director Athar Wahid, Intelligence Bureau DDG Omar Shahid Hamid, and ISI Lt Col Saad Ahmed. Later, the ISI official was removed, reducing the team to two.
On Monday, the federal cabinet authorized the formation of a three-member panel chaired by retired judge Abdul Shakoor Paracha to “inquire into the facts” of the killing. Sharif’s mother rejected the committee and asked for a judicial commission from the CJP.
In a statement that was released today, Paracha said that he had told the government that the commission would not be able to go further with the investigation for the following reasons:
- Dissatisfaction and rejection of commission by Sharif’s mother.
- Request by Sharif’s mother to the CJP for justice.
- DDG Hamid has already visited Nairobi as part of the first team to probe the death.
- No media representative is part of the commission.
In his justification, Parachi said that it was not “legally sustainable that he (DDG Hamid) can be a part of the commission based on his previous findings.” This meant that DDG Hamid could not serve on the commission. In addition, he said that it was essential for there to be a media representation serving on the commission in order to ensure that “justice is not only served but is seen when done.”
In addition to this, he mentioned the request that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had made to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial for a full judicial panel to probe the death of the journalist. “I believe that this has accomplished what it set out to do [for a commission],” stated Paracha.
