According to reports, renowned Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif has been killed in Kenya. His wife, Javeria Siddique, confirmed the news in a tweet early on Monday morning. “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” she wrote.
Both countries’ governments are yet to confirm the journalist’s death and the conditions surrounding it. Asim Iftikhar, Foreign Office Spokesperson, said Pakistan’s High Commission in Kenya was gathering information from the authorities.
According to DAWN, Arshad Sharif was a vocal opponent of the present government and the country’s leadership. He fled Pakistan earlier this year after sedition charges were filed against him in many cities.
Earlier this year, a slew of first information reports (FIRs) were filed against journalists Arshad Sharif, Sabir Shakir, and Sami Ibrahim, accusing them of sedition and propagating “anti-state” narratives. The cases against the journalists were lodged with police in numerous Sindh provinces and Balochistan, all with similar allegations and patterns. Residents of the regions submitted the FIRs, alleging that the journalists were inciting anti-national sentiments by disparaging the Pakistan Army and federal institutions.
Sharif was also instrumental in a recent documentary based on corruption in the country that was about to be released soon. The film, titled ‘Behind Closed Doors,’ was based on corruption during the Nawaz Sharif government. Adil Raja, the permanent representative of Pakistan at the International Human Rights Foundation stated that the documentary was the reason behind Sharif’s assassination. As per reports, Arshad Sharif had close ties with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Arshad Sharif linked Hindutva with terrorism, hated Modi
During the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, Arshad was involved in propagating hatred against Hindus. In his tweets, he used terms like RSS-BJP goons and Hindutva.
Sharing a video in which slogans of Khalistan Zindabad are being raised alongside insults to PM Modi, Arshad Sharif said that Narendra Modi has divided Indian society into two parts by bringing fanatical policies of fascist Hindutva and violating the rights of minorities.
In the following tweet, Arshad claimed that Modi’s Hindutva policies are transforming him into the next Hitler of South Asia.
Meanwhile, Kenyan media said that Sharif was shot dead by police in a case of “mistaken identity.” According to the report, the event occurred on Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway.
While hearing a petition requesting an investigation into Sharif’s murder, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed representatives from the foreign and interior ministries to meet with the journalist’s family as soon as possible. The court also served notices to the federal and interior secretaries, directing them to provide a report by tomorrow.