Journalist Arshad Sharif killed in targeted attack, Imran Khan claims

Peshawar: Slain journalist Arshad Sharif fell the victim to a "targeted killing", former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan claimed on Tuesday.

Addressing the lawyers' convention in Peshawar, Khan said irrespective of anyone's guess what he established that Arshad Sharif was a victim of target killing in Kenya on October 23.

He claimed to had received information that Sharif would be killed so that truth could be silenced, saying the journalist was receiving threats from unknown numbers.

“He (Sharif) knew his life was in danger. He knew he was repeatedly getting warnings. He didn’t step back. I told him [to back down but] he wasn’t scared and then lastly, this targeted killing.”

Regarding the alleged torture inflicted on his party member Senator Azam Khan Swati, Khan said Swat was arrested by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) in a case related to "controversial" tweets and was subjected to torture.

“They stripped and assaulted 75-year-old Senator Azam Swati. Pakistan was mocked around the world,” the former premier said while sharing his resolve to "fight the oppressors for as long as he is alive."

The former prime minister urged the legal fraternity to stand with the PTI, saying he needed the lawyers' community the most.

The PTI stalwart was of the view that he had never seen the rule of law prevail in Pakistan, urging lawyers to join the party's cause of supremacy of law in the country.