Arshad Sharif murder: SC asks JIT to complete investigation in one month

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday asked the joint investigation team (JIT) to complete the investigation of Arshad Sharif murder case in one month, ARY News reported.

As per details, a five-member bench headed by chief justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the suo motu notice of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.

The court asked the Additional Attorney General (AAG) Amir Rehman about the progress of the investigation. The AAG told the court that the progress report was submitted to the court.

The special JIT has so far recorded statements from 41 people and consists of three major stages, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kenya.

The JIT was supposed to leave for Kenya for further investigation but because of the Christmas holidays, they cannot leave before January 15. He said that the JIT will first go to Kenya and then to UAE.

The chief justice inquired if the Kenyan authorities will be willing to investigate the accused people. The AAG responded that we have given the names of those people to the Kenyan authorities.

The foreign ministry is cooperating with the JIT and they have already written a letter in this regard.

The widow of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, Javeria Siddique expressed her mistrust in the JIT and said that two officers of JIT are subordinate to the accused.

CJP Umar Ata Bandial replied to Arshad Sharif’s widow that the JIT officers are very capable. The subordinate officers also perform excellent work.

Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar asked the AAG if there is any time frame for the completion of the investigation. At this, the AAG responded Setting a timeframe for the investigation will be difficult.

The CJP also asked the JIT about Arshad Sharif’s missing devices, if it’s with the intelligence agencies, Kenyan police or anyone else.

The slain journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder is a test case for the JIT.

The court later adjourned the case till 1st week of February.

Earlier, the joint investigation team (JIT) – constituted to probe the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif – decided to make a list of witnesses, who recorded their testimonies other than the family.

It is pertinent to mention here the senior journalist and former ARY News anchor, was killed in Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 23 where he was living in self-exile.

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.