Arshad Sharif’s assassination: Federal govt forms three-member inquiry commission

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved the constitution of a three-member inquiry commission headed by a retired judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to probe into senior journalist Arshad Sharif’s assassination, citing sources, ARY News reported on Monday.

A three-member inquiry commission headed by former LHC judge Justice Retired Abdul Shakoor Paracha was formed by the federal government to probe into Arshad Sharif’s assassination case.

Sources told ARY News that the federal government has given approval for the constitution of the three-member commission that will be headed by Justice Retd Abdul Shakoor Paracha. Sources said that the summary for the inquiry commission was approved through circulation.

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Additional Inspector General (AIG) Dr Usman Anwar and Intelligence Bureau (IB) deputy director general Omar Shahid Hamid were included as members of the commission.

ARY News obtained a copy of the summary sent to the federal cabinet by the Ministry of Interior regarding the inquiry commission.

The commission will ascertain facts about Sharif’s assassination in Kenya and present its report within 30 days.

READ: ARSHAD SHARIF MURDER: INVESTIGATION TEAM INTERROGATES WAQAR AHMED, BROTHER

Sources added that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will provide secretariat support to the inquiry commission including logistics, according to the term of reference (ToR).

It is pertinent to mention here that IB DDG Omar Shahid Hamid is currently busy probing into the senior journalist’s killing in Kenya.

Earlier, the federal government had formed a two-member investigation team to hold probe into Sharif killing case.

Arshad Sharif’s assassination

The senior journalist and former ARY News anchor, was killed in Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 23 where he was living in self-exile.

READ: ARSHAD SHARIF MURDER: INVESTIGATION TEAM MEETS KENYAN CID

Kenyan police first said that Arshad Sharif was killed in a case of “mistaken identity” but since the seasoned journalist’s post-mortem and his body’s transfer to his home country, several Kenyan news outlets have not only questioned the police’s conduct but have raised questions over the manner in which he was killed.