Journalist Arshad Sharif killed in ‘targeted attack’, Sanaullah says

Islamabad: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in a “targeted attack”.

"No evidence was found to support the narrative that he was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity," the minsiter said while addressing a press conference.

On October 23, Sharif was gunned down in Kenya allegedly by the local police. Initially, the Kenyan media quoted the local police as saying Sharif was shot dead by police in a case of “mistaken identity”.

However, reports from the Kenyan media later reconstructed the events surrounding the killing, stating that an occupant in Sharif’s car at the time of his killing was believed to have shot at paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU) officers.

The government subsequently formed a team which travelled to Kenya to investigate the killing.

The minister said the team had briefed him about the investigation after returning from Kenya.

“We have decided to request the foreign minister and ambassador to provide the data collected by Kenyan officials.

“Prima facie, it is a targeted murder as the narrative of ‘mistaken identity’ hasn't been proven and there are many doubts,” he said, adding further information would only emerge after a detailed investigation was conducted.

Sanaullah also said shots were fired at Sharif’s car in a “very technical manner”.

“How did the police know where Arshad was sitting [in the car]? In my view, the shooters knew who Arshad Sharif was and where he was sitting in the vehicle. The driver also knew what was about to happen where.”

The minister said the police had not yet returned the belongings acquired from the crime scene. “We have gotten a lot of things but some of them are still in their [Kenyan police’s] custody.”

Talking about the grievances of Sharif’s mother regarding the investigation, Sanaullah said the chief justice could take her feedback regarding it and appoint a new head of the commission to probe the murder.

“We would be more satisfied with that. I am hopeful that the suspects would be identified soon,” the minister added.