Arshad Sharif death: PM Shehbaz says Kenya’s president vows all-out help

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Kenya’s President William Ruto and discussed journalist Arshad Sharif’s death, ARY News reported on Monday.

Taking to Twitter, the premier said he had a telephonic call with Kenyan President William Ruto and stressed the need for an impartial and transparent investigation into the death of journalist Arshad Sharif in a “mistaken identity” police firing.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s president expressed regret over the incident and promised “all-out help” to Pakistan. The president has also vowed to present an investigation report on the incident soon.

“Just had a telephonic call with Kenyan President William Ruto about the tragic death of Arshad Sharif in Kenya. I requested him to ensure fair & transparent investigation into shocking incident. He promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of return of the body to Pakistan,” PM Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.

It is pertinent to mention here that Kenyan police confirmed senior journalist and former anchorperson ARY News Arshad Sharif was shot dead by the police in a ‘mistaken identity’ case.

The incident took place when he was travelling to Kenya’s capital Nairobi from the country’s Magadi town.

According to Kenyan media, Arshad Sharif was shot in the head and killed by police after he and his driver allegedly breached a roadblock.

Read More: FO to facilitate early return of Arshad Sharif’s body

Detailing the incident, the Kenyan media quoting the police said that the manned roadblock had received information to intercept a car similar to the one, Arshad Sharif and his driver was in, following a carjacking incident in Nairobi in which a child was allegedly taken hostage.

Read more: Arshad Sharif demise: ‘Pakistan in contact with Kenya’

The Kenyan police further said the Pakistani journalist was asked to stop for identification but he allegedly drove past the roadblock. This led to a brief chase and shooting that left the journalist dead, it added.

Profile

A seasoned journalist, Arshad Sharif was one of Pakistan’s top news anchors. ARY News show Powerplay was Arshad’s last outing on a national television.

He had worked for the country’s top news channels and newspapers in the past. He was awarded ‘Presidential Pride of Performance’  for his exceptional journalism in the year 2019.