ISLAMABAD – The body of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead by Kenyan police, has arrived in the wee hours of Wednesday in the country’s federal capital.
A number of journalists, activists, government officials, and former ruling PTI leaders rushed to the Islamabad airport to receive Arshad’s body. His body arrived aboard Qatar Airways flight QR-632.
Reports in local media suggest that Sharif is expected to be laid to rest on Thursday (tomorrow).
Dead body of slain prominent Pakistani journalist #ArshadSharif reached his home country. Hundreds of people gathered at the airport at midnight to receive the brave journalist coffin pic.twitter.com/nIJPJPLg8J
— The South Asia Times (@thesouthasiatim) October 26, 2022
Sharif’s widow, who is also a journalist, took to Twitter, saying “Finally I reunite with my husband after months but he was in coffin and noor smile on his face. I try to wake-up him up but no response.”
میرا ارشد آگیا #قوم_کا_ہیرو_ارشد_شریف pic.twitter.com/PZKeYfayAs
— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) October 26, 2022
On Tuesday, the Pakistani government decided to start a judicial inquiry into Sharif’s killing. The inquiry came as Pakistan Army Headquarters wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to launch a probe into the mysterious murder.
Kenyan police earlier confirmed that Sharif was shot dead in a case of ‘mistaken identity’ along the Nairobi-Magadi highway.
Kenyan local publication, The Star, quoting law enforcers said Arshad Sharif was killed in Sunday night’s shooting, saying the killing turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.
It further added that Sharif, who specialized in investigative journalism, was shot in the head as he and his driver allegedly breached a barricade.
Talking to a private TV channel, DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar urged the government to launch a high-level probe into the killing of the senior journalist.
He said that it should also be investigated who “forced” the slain journalist to leave Pakistan and go abroad.
He said that the probe into the incident is essential to give reply to those who are hurling allegations at the institution.
He said that people who are leveling allegations against the institutions should come forward if they had any evidence.
‘Who forced Arshad Sharif to leave Pakistan?’ DG ISPR calls for probe into journalist’s murder
Meanwhile, former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan claimed that Sharif had been killed in a targeted attack. He further said that he had advised the slain journalist to move out of the country after getting reports of his assassination.
Arshad Sharif, a known critic of the incumbent government and institutions, had left South Asian country earlier this year after being booked in the sedition cases.
