Exiled Pak journo Arshad Sharif shot dead in Kenya, Imran Khan condemns incident

Considered as a frequent critic of the Pakistani military establishment and supporter of former prime minister Imran Khan, Sharif was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April.

Former Pakistan Imran Khan on Monday condemned the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif.

“Shocked at the brutal murder of Arshad Sharif who paid the ultimate price for speaking the truth – his life. He had to leave the country and be in hiding abroad but he continued to speak the truth on social media, exposing the powerful. Today the entire nation mourns his death,” Khan tweeted.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has called for a proper judicial investigation in the case. “We have descended into a state of brutality, unknown in civilised society, indulged in by the powerful against those who dare to criticise and expose wrongdoings,” he said in a subsequent tweet.

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Earlier in the day, Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddique informed that his husband died in Kenya after being shot.

“I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” his wife Javeria Siddique tweeted, adding, “Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don’t share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital.

Remember us in ur prayers.”

Even the Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed the incident. It said that the High Commissioner accordingly contacted the police authorities and senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments.

“Pakistanis of Kenyan Origin were also mobilised. The Mission was informed that the body was in Chiromo Funeral House in Nairobi. The High Commissioner along with Mission’s officers reached the location, and has identified the body of Mr. Sharif,” the foreign ministry said.

In August, news agency AFP had reported that Sharif had interviewed senior opposition politician Shahbaz Gill, who said that junior officers in the armed forces should not follow orders that went against “the will of the majority”.

Following the comment, the news channel being briefly taken off air and an arrest warrant being issued for Sharif, who left the country. Even the channel ARY later said it had “cut ties” with him.

With this, Gill was detained and Khan’s criticism of the judiciary for the detention led to his own court appearances.

“ARY anchorperson Arshad Sharif embraced martyrdom after he was shot dead in Kenya… the local police is investigating,” ARY TV tweeted on Monday.

In the press freedom index compiled by Reporters without Borders, Pakistan is ranked 157 out of 180 countries in the world.

Sharif was last spotted in London a few days back after arriving from Dubai.

With inputs from AFP and ANI.