Arshad Sharif case: Supreme Court rejects JIT report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday rejected the report of the Special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, ARY News reported.

The JIT report was submitted to the CJP’s Chamber earlier in the day. The report contains details of the investigation carried out in Kenya and the UAE.

The team returned to Pakistan, last week after completing its inquiry in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates.

Hearing the case, a five-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial rejected the report submitted by the special JIT and termed it as a story of ‘failures’ only.

During today’s hearing, CJP asked why Kenya stopped ‘cooperating’ with Pakistan in the Arshad Sharif murder case. “Foreign Office should investigate the matter and brief the state on the matter,” CJP Bandial remarked.

CJP Justice Umar Ata Bandial said there are two important aspects in the Arshad Sharif murder case one is domestic and the other is foreign. The top judge also asked the JIT head and the additional attorney general to find out who leaked the fact-finding report of the case.

The JIT head informed the SC bench, the Kenyan authorities have not handed over Arshad Sharif’s iPhone and iPad to them and went on to say the JIT did not find any evidence to reach any conclusion in the case.

The additional attorney general said the Kenyan authorities have completed their investigation of the two cops arrested in the Arshad Sharif murder case.

The report has been sent to the public prosecutor for further action.

The SC while rejecting the JIT report, asked to contact UN for help in the matter. “How much time is required to seek help from the UN,” the CJP asked the Foreign Office’s representative.

Cannot tell the exact time as the matter is about cooperation between the two countries, the FO representative replied.

Later the, SC adjourned hearing of Arshad Sharif murder case hearing until first week of March and gave a month to the Foreign Office to determine the time to seek help from UN.

It may be noted that the SC ordered a special JIT to visit Kenya and UAE to probe the murder of Arshad Sharif.

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

On December 8, the federal government formed a new special joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe the murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif with the Supreme Court (SC).

The new JIT includes members from ISI, IB, FIA and the Islamabad police. The members include DIG Intelligence Branch, Sajid Kiyani, FIA’s Waqarauddin Syed, DIG Headquarters, Owais Ahmed, Murtaza Afzal from the Military Intelligence and Muhammad Aslam from the ISI.