Arshad Sharif murder: Islamabad High Court refuses to form judicial commission

FOOLS_NIGHTMARE · Oct 25, 2022

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday refused the petition to form an immediate judicial commission to probe the Arshad Sharif murder case in Kenya.

Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was allegedly shot dead by the Kenyan police nearby Nairobi on Sunday.

Over his murder in Kenya, Barrister Shoaib Razzak approached the Islamabad High Court on Monday demanding an investigation by forming a judicial commission into the killing of the journalist.

Read: Case of mistaken identity: Arshad Sharif was shot by Kenyan police

At a hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition in which the Foreign and Interior Ministry’s representatives along with the deputy attorney general and the petitioner appeared before the court.

The Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry were cooperating by all means while the body was transported to Pakistan, Shoaib Razzak, the counsel, and the petitioner told the court.

During the proceeding, the judge asked has anyone had gone to meet Arshad Sharif’s family. Did they need any support?

The petition said the body will reach Pakistan today and it was requested to form a judicial commission to investigate the murder.

Read: ‘His work was known around the world’: US strongly condemns Arshad Sharif’s murder

The chief justice remarked, “There is no point to constitute a judicial commission at this stage.” This was a matter between two countries so the state institutions can handle the situation more efficiently, the judge added.

Over this, the deputy attorney general said, “Surely this was a sad incident but let the report comes from the Kenyan government, however, if they have any objection on the report then the case should be heard again.”

The court remarked, Journalist organizations should be kept on board during the investigation.

After hearing all the arguments, the court refused the petition to form a judicial commission immediately to investigate the Arshad Sharif murder case and adjourned the hearing till next week.