Federal Constitutional Court delivers verdict in Arshad Sharif murder case

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court has issued its verdict in the suo motu case concerning the murder of senior journalist and former ARY News anchor Arshad Sharif, ARY News reported.

According to reports, the court announced that, at present, no judicial intervention is required and all related petitions have been disposed of.

The decision, authored by Justice Amir Farooq and spanning 14 pages, acknowledged the grief felt by the journalist community and the people of Pakistan over Arshad Sharif’s killing. It also noted that the victim’s family remains free to approach the relevant courts on any matter concerning the case.

The court highlighted that a mutual legal assistance agreement between Pakistan and Kenya has already been signed and that the pace of investigations is subject to diplomatic coordination and the laws of sovereign states.

It emphasized that the handling of international forums and related matters rests with the government under the discretion of foreign policy authorities.

Regarding the progress of the special joint investigation team, the court stated that no party has raised any objections to their work so far. Arrests of the accused involved in the murder of Arshad Sharif have been made and black warrants have been issued for trials to be conducted in Pakistan.

The court noted that the investigation’s pace depends on cooperation with Kenya and adherence to legal procedures applicable in autonomous states.

The Killing of Arshad Sharif in Nairobi 

Arshad Sharif, a senior journalist, was shot dead in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on October 23, 2022, where he was living in self-exile. Initially, Kenyan police claimed that Arshad Sharif was killed due to a “mistaken identity.”

However, following the post-mortem and the transfer of his body to Pakistan, several Kenyan news outlets questioned the conduct of the police and the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s killing.

The official police statement later expressed “regrets on the unfortunate incident,” but the case continues to draw attention internationally due to its sensitive diplomatic and legal implications.