Who was Arshad Sharif???
Arshad Sharif was one of the promising journalists of Pakistan who earned fame and respect for investigative reporting, bold and blunt analysis, sharp anchoring and vocal voice among the journalist community. He remained proactive and performing while occupying various highest and influential ranks in electronic media.
Arshad Sharif’s educational background
After completing his secondary board studies, Arshad Sharif went to Gordon College to complete his graduation. Later, he completed his education by doing MS in public administration from Quaid-e -Azam University Islamabad. He went to Ulster University, Ireland and completed his MA Media Studies. He also specialized in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organizations, including the United Kingdom.
Arshad Sharif’s family background
Arshad Sharif was born in Karachi to a Commander of the Pakistan Navy, Muhammad Sharif TI (M) on Feb 22, 1973. He was born to a noble and cultured family. His father name is Commander Muhammad Sharif. His brother’s name is Major Ashraf Sharif. His mother’s name is Riffat Ara.
Deaths of Arshad Sharif’s father and brother
Arshad Sharif’s father, Commander Muhammad Sharif, died of a heart attack at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in May 2011. On hearing about the death of his father, Major Ashraf Sharif left Bannu Cantonment and refused an escort. A few kilometers away, his vehicle turned off the road and hit a tree, killing him. Unfortunately, later, both Commander Muhammad Sharif and Major Ashraf Sharif were laid to rest with full military honours at the H-11 graveyard.
Arshad Sharif’s recognition as leading journalist
Arshad Sharif was considered as one of the most popular and well-known Pakistani journalists, political analysts and television host. Among the masses and journalist community, he was famed and honoured for his work in investigative journalism and wiry political talk shows. Arshad Sharif has been associated with various media outlets in Pakistan and has a significant presence on television. He is recognized for his in-depth reporting, analysis, and interviews on current affairs, politics, and social issues. Arshad Sharif’s journalistic contributions have earned him a reputation for being a knowledgeable and influential figure in Pakistani media.
Arshad Sharif’s first wife
Arshad Sharif has two wives. Arshad and Somiya were married in 2001. She was his her spouse as a result of arranged wedding. On his dismal death, she felt sorry and expressed her in-depth grief over his life-loss.
Arshad Sharif’s second wife
Javeria Siddique was Arshad Sharif’s second wife who was also gained popularity as writer, journalist, columnist and photographer. Her columns are liked and rated as significant contributions in journalistic writings. She received the 2008 CDA Award for Best Reporting, 2009 PIHR Award, 2009 best Anchor Award and received the 2014 Photography Award.
Arshad Sharif’s daughter
Arshad Sharif’s daughter name is Aleeza Arshad. Recently, she has joined the field of journalism as a reporter. Inspired by her father’s passion for investigative journalist, Aleeza Arshad has joined the private news channel, where late Arshad Sharif hosted a show on current affairs.
Earlier, she also tweeted on her father’s 50th birthday in the following touchy words:
“Happy 50th abba, I miss you more than words can say, I love you more than you can ever know. Counting the days until we meet again. Until then, I will have a place in my heart for you”.
Arshad Sharif’s mother
Arshad Sharif mother names is Riffat Ara. Unfortunately, she has seen the dead bodies of her late husband, elder son and youngest son Arshad Sharif. She has registered her deepest concerns for Arshad Sharif’s death and raised voice on every forum for seeking justice.
Arshad Sharif’s funeral
Arshad Sharif’s funeral prayer was offered at the famous Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad on Oct 27, 2022.
Arshad Sharif’s death date
Arshad Sharif died on October 23, 2022 in Kenya.
Arshad Sharif’s burial
Arshad Sharif was buried in the Islamabad H-11 graveyard near the graves of his late father and brother in the federal capital on 27 Oct 2022.
Javeria Siddique’s message on Arshad Sharif’s death
Javeria Siddique says in a tweet: “According to the police, Arshad has been shot in Kenya. I have lost my friend, my husband. I request that our personal photos should not be shared. Arshad’s last minute photos and our personal information should not be shared.”
Arshad Sharif’s children
Arshad Sharif had five children four sons and one daughter from two wives.
Arshad Sharif’s career
Arshad Sharif started his TV programme “Power Play” on ARY News in 2014 and the programme proved to be a roaring success and started as one of the best current affairs shows. Arshad Sharif also won the Current Affairs Anchor of the Year Award.
Distinctions and awards
On 23 March 2019, Arshad Sharif was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President Arif Alvi, for his contributions to journalism. He served on AAJ News as News Director. Prior to joining AAJ, he was leading the news team of Dunya News as Director of News and was the host of the program “Kyun”.
Journalistic career
Arshad Sharif started his journalistic career as a freelancer in 1993, when he was still a student. His media job was with a weekly publication, “Pulse”, for which he was a columnist, reporter, and managing editor in 1999. He joined The News in 1999 and Daily Dawn in 2001. During this era, he covered conflicts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with a specialization in defence and foreign affairs. He reported for leading Pakistani news organizations from London, Paris, Strasbourg, an Kiel. He was the winner of the “2012 Agahi Award”. Arshad Sharif as anchor and Adeel Raja as producer won the 2016 Investigative Journalist of the Year Award for the programme “Power play”. In 2018, Sharif was awarded Agahi’s Peoples’ Choice Awards: Favorite Current Affairs Anchor – Male.
Why did Arshad Sharif leave Pakistan?
After a decade, Arshad Sharif remained in lime lighted in electronic media with his peculiar style of anchoring and bold interviews. In August 2022, Sharif had to leave Pakistan to avoid arrest after a number of accusations, including sedition charges over an interview with PTI leader Shahbaz Gill. Later, after controversial comments and alleging threats to his life, he had to move to Dubai and later to Kenya.
Initial investigations on Arshad Sharif’s death
Despite thorough investigation, Arshad Sharif death reasons have not been confirmed yet. According to the details of the investigation of the incident by the Kenyan local police, they say that Arshad Sharif was killed inside the vehicle. Before his death, Arshad Sharif went to London from Dubai a few days ago and went to Kenya from there. Sharif was shot and killed in Kajiado, Kenya, by local police on 23 October 2022. The Kenyan police described the shooting as a case of “mistaken identity”, and there was speculation on social media that he had been assassinated.
Forming of investigation committee on death
Arshad Sharif death remained a mystery in Pakistani’s social circles. There were various speculations and fake news spreading around the country. On October 24, 2022 the Kenyan Independent Police Oversight Authority announced an investigation into Sharif’s death. An investigation committee consisting of Athar Waheed, director of the Federal Investigation Agency’s headquarters, and Umar Shahid Hamid, deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau was formed on October 26, 2022.
Judicial committee on Arshad Sharif’s death
Subsequently, on November 8, 2022, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to set up a judicial committee to investigate into the murder in a fair and reliable manner. Bandial announced on December 6, 2022 that he had taken a suo moto notice of the killing.
Arshad Sharif’s death reaction in Pakistan
News of Sharif’s killing was met with shock in Pakistan and abroad. President Arif Alvi described Sharif’s death as “a great loss to journalism and Pakistan”. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the killing as “shocking news”. Former prime minister Imran Khan wrote on Twitter that he was “shocked at the brutal murder of Arshad Sharif who paid the ultimate price for speaking the truth – his life”.
Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), expressed his grief at the news and called for an inquiry into the killing of Sharif. Journalist Kamran Khan questioned the government on Twitter and asked the Prime Minister to take “the nation in confidence”. A significant number of people attended Arshad Sharif’s funeral prayers. Close friends and colleagues arrived at Sharif’s home to express their condolences, including Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.
Reaction of international organizations on Arshad Sharif’s death
The killing of Arshad Sharif was condemned by the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay in a press-release published on October 26, 2022. UNESCO’s mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image” includes the protection of journalists and media workers against any forms of attacks and reprisals related to their duties. The facts and circumstances surrounding this killing are categorized and archived online on UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists. The Observatory archives publicly accessible information on all the journalists killed in relation to their duties since 1997, where the Director-General has issued a condemnation.
How many times were Arshad Sharif shot?
According to investigative report, the driver of Sharif’s Land Cruiser disobeyed orders to stop at a roadblock and officers then shot at the car at least eight times as it moved away, killing the journalist in the process.
Documentary on Arshad Sharif
After Arshad Sharif’s death, many National and international documentary were made to pay tribute to his meritorious services to journalism.
Full Version | Arshad Sharif: From the Eyes of the Closest | UNCUT’s Exclusive Documentary | Part 1,2
1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfEWyZqj3n4 private,Pakistan
2.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzbn5q0WYa4 (BBC)
Kenyan police reports on Arshad Sharif death
According to Kenyan police reports, Sharif was fatally shot by police while driving to Nairobi, Kenya on October 23. After Sharif and his brother allegedly drove through a security roadblock, officers from Kenya Police Service’s paramilitary wing opened fire on the vehicle, shooting a total of nine rounds, with one hitting Sharif through the back of the head. Police had formed a roadblock using small stones following reports of an incident of car theft and child kidnapping. Kenyan authorities claimed the killing was an accident and expressed regret at the incident, with Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority launching an immediate probe.
Arshad Sharif mother’s moves Supreme Court
Arshad Sharif’s mother has requested the Supreme Court to direct the special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) — probing her son’s killing in October last year 2022 — to include PTI Chairman Imran Khan and four other people in the investigation.
In an application, his mother named a total of five persons who “have been found claiming about the persons who are involved in the conspiracy and the execution of the murder”, and asserted they “need to be joined in the investigation to collect evidence against the real perpetrators”. She has named Imran; PTI leaders Faisal Vawda and Murad Saeed; journalist Imran Riaz Khan whose whereabouts are currently unknown; and ARY Chief Executive Officer Salman Iqbal as those who needed to join the probe.
Previous probe developments of Arshad Sharif’s murder
In December last year, a two-member fact-finding team consisting of officers from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had concluded that Sharif’s murder was a “planned targeted assassination” which purportedly involved “transnational characters”.
In a January hearing, the apex court had asked investigators to discuss with the foreign ministry the possibility of involving the United Nations in the murder probe.
It had also said that the court would not interfere in the investigation. “The court is giving freedom to the JIT for probe and the matter should be investigated transparently as the court is very serious about transparent investigations,” the bench had said.
PTI Murad Saeed and Arshad Sharif
PTI leader Murad Saeed claimed several times about Arshad Sharif murder and the elements and characters behind this killing. In a press conference in November 2022, Murad Saeed claimed that he had all evidence about what happened with Mr Sharif during the last seven months of his life, who threatened him, registered FIRs against him and forced him to move to Kenya. Earlier, he added if the chief justice formed a commission as requested by the late journalist’s mother, he will present the evidence before it. The five-member SJIT was constituted by the federal government on the orders of the Supreme Court. The team, headed by Islamabad DIG Head-quarters Awais Ahmad, comprises officers from the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, FIA and IB. Earlier, a fact-finding team — formed by the federal government, comprising FIA and IB officers — to probe the murder also called Mr. Saeed for questioning. However, he refused to appear before it.
Pakistani journalists deaths in 2022
According to CPNE statistics, four Pakistani journalists had died last year while performing their journalistic responsibilities. Arshad Sharif was among these killings. At least 42 journalists were killed in Pakistan during the last four years, stated documents submitted by the information ministry in the Senate.
