PTI has written a letter to the United Nations (UN), requesting an “independent” investigation into the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead in Kenya in October 2022.
According to the details, senior PTI leader Murad Saeed revealed on Twitter that parliamentarians, including PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, wrote to the UN demanding an independent investigation of Arshad Sharif’s murder.
Read more: Arshad Sharif murder case – still a mystery
“Pakistani parliamentarians, including former prime minister Imran Khan wrote to the United Nations demanding an independent investigation of the murder of Arshad Sharif. We are grateful to all those parliamentarians who joined the cause,” he wrote on Twitter.
Pakistani parliamentarians, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote to the United Nations demanding independent investigation of the murder of Arshad Sharif. We are grateful to all those parliamentarians who joined the cause #UN_for_ArshadSharif pic.twitter.com/haRnMxJPbB
— Murad Saeed (@MuradSaeedPTI) April 9, 2023
The letter highlights the failure of both Kenyan and Pakistani police in making any arrests related to the murder. The letter also requested the UN to select a team of international experts to conduct a thorough inquiry into Arshad Sharif’s murder.
Arshad Sharif’s murder
The senior journalist and former ARY News anchor, Arshad Sharif, was killed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 23 where he was living in self-exile. Kenyan police first said that the journalist was killed in a case of “mistaken identity” but since his post-mortem and his body’s transfer to Pakistan, several Kenyan news outlets have not only questioned the police’s conduct but have raised questions over the manner in which he was killed.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding Arshad Sharif’s murder had raised a storm in Pakistan, with the Supreme Court of Pakistan taking a suo moto notice of the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif to ensure an independent and transparent investigation is carried out in the case. More than five thousand letters were sent to the Supreme Court to investigate the murder of Arshad Sharif.
Recently, the Supreme Court has held that it may consider the formation of a judicial commission for investigating the murder of Arshad Sharif if the government and Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) failed to accelerate their task.
“Failure to satisfy the court that all efforts are being expended to accelerate the investigation may compel it to consider constituting a Judicial Commission for investigating the murder of Arshad Sharif,” says a written order issued by the court.
Read more: Supreme Court rejects JIT report on Arshad Sharif murder case