Pakistani Journalist Shot Dead In Kenya
Police in Kenya have confirmed the shooting of renowned Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif on Sunday night in Kajiado county, which neighbours the capital Nairobi.
Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso says they are investigating the circumstances behind Mr. Sharif’s death.
Local media say he was shot at a roadblock on the Nairobi-Magadi highway in a case of mistaken identity.
Mr. Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddique tweeted on Monday that she had ” lost [a] friend, husband, and my favorite journalist”.
I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya.
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. pic.twitter.com/wP1BJxqP5e— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) October 24, 2022
Mr. Sharif’s reporting on alleged corruption and his criticism of Pakistani officials frequently led him to run-ins with the authorities.
At the time of his death, Mr. Sharif was said to be working on an investigative report that featured journalists from various parts of the world looking into claims of state-sponsored criminal cartels that implicated senior Pakistani officials.
Pakistani police had also filed sedition cases against Mr. Sharif over a contentious interview with an opposition activist.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi said, “Arshad Sharif’s death Is a great loss to journalism and Pakistan. May his soul rest in peace, and may his family, which includes his followers, have the strength to bear this loss”.
Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) says it has launched investigations into the killing of prominent Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.
Local media outlets reported that Mr. Sharif’s killing by police was a case of mistaken identity.
The Ipoa, a civilian body, was formed to monitor the work of the police.
Its head, Ann Makori, has told journalists in the capital, Nairobi, that a rapid response team has been sent to investigate the killing of the journalist.
The Citizen TV has tweeted a clip of Ms. Makori’s remarks:
Ann Makori – Chair, IPOA: On the Pakistan killing, our rapid response team has already been dispatched to investigate the killing of the journalist. We assure Kenyans of our full commitment to delivering on its mandate pic.twitter.com/FWz80i8lf6
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) October 24, 2022