Islamabad, 26 Oct. 2022

Dead body of renowned Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif arrived mid-night at Islamabad Airport by Qatar Airways. He was shot dead by Kenyan police near Nairobi as per the Kenyan authorities announcement.

Pakistan has constituted three member investigative team to probe the death of the deceased in Kenya.

Deceased wife Javeria Siddique had confirmed death of her husband early morning of Monday through tweet saying that  “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” she tweeted.

Siddique in a tweet has said that the body of Arshad Sharif will arrive on Wednesday morning, and the burial be held at H-11 Cemetery in Islamabad on Thursday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior to expedite the repatriation process of the body of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead in Kenya.

“I am deeply saddened by the shocking news of journalist Arshad Sharif’s tragic death,” he said. He extended condolences to the bereaved family of Arshad Sharif. “May Allah SWT grant him a place in Heaven. My deep condolences and prayers for the bereaved family,” he said.

Mystery surrounds the circumstances that led to the journalist’s death. A statement released by the National Police Service of Kenya later confirmed that the incident occurred Monday night along the Kwenia farm/Kamukuru Marram road within Magadi, where “a foreigner namely Arshad Mohammed Shariff, a Pakistani national aged 50 years was fatally wounded by a police officer while a passenger in a motor vehicle KDG 200M.

“At the time of the incident, deceased was in company of his brother namely Khurram Ahmed. Incident follows a circulation from Pangani Police of a stolen motor vehicle. The officers trailing the motor vehicle towards Magadi alerted police in Magadi who erected a road barrier,” it said.

The police service stated that the deceased’s motor vehicle came upon the police barrier that Sharif’s driver “drove through”. “It is then that they were shot at, fatally injuring late Arshad Mohammad Shariff.”

The Kenyan police further said that it regretted the incident, adding that the competent authorities were investigating the incident for appropriate action.

Ann Makori, Chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority, at a press conference said that a rapid response team had been dispatched to investigate the killing of the journalist.

Pakistan's Defense Forces Official media organ ISPR, has issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened by the sudden death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya" and prayed for the departed soul.

Earlier this year, police has registered FIR cases against some of the journalists including Arshad Sharif, Sabir Shakir and Sami Ibrahim – over charges of sedition and peddling anti-state narrative.

The cases against the journalists were filed with police in several districts of Sindh and Balochistan with similar pattern and complaints.

The FIRs, filed by residents of the districts, had alleged that the journalists were stoking anti-national sentiments by maligning Pakistan Army and state institutions.

A case against then ARY News anchor Arshad Sharif was registered at a B-section police station in Hyderabad.

Late Arshad Sharif was born in Karachi, got his high secondary school education from Pakistani community school (PEC), Doha, Qatar in late 1980s, where his father served from Defense Forces of Pakistan. Around two years, he spent in medical college Rawalpindi, then transferred to get his bachelors degree in  journalism.

Talking to www.asiantelegraphqatar.com/login, Zia Khurram, retired Vice Principal, Pakistani community school in Doha sent his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. Refreshing his almost over 30 years earlier memories, the learned teacher said that late Arshad Sharif was a decent, sober, hard working, and a shinning student of the school, got his high secondary school education under Islamabad Board in high marks.  He was a confident and a reserved child who never gave any chance of complaint during almost four years of studies in Pakistani school 'Pakistan Education Center, Doha. He was very active as used to participate in various sports.

Doha school class fellows, Doha based Dr. Owais Nauman and Adnan Rafiq Butt has expressed their heartfelt deep condolences to the family members of the deceased on the tragic death of their very dear childhood friend and class fellow.

www.asiantelegraphqatar.com extends it's heartfelt condolences to the deceased family members on the unfortunate and tragic death of a bold and daring Pakistani Journalist, Arshad Sharif in Kenya.