Arshad Sharif suo motu case: JIT to depart for Kenya on Jan 15, SC told

The joint investigation team (JIT) on the martyr journalist Arshad Sharif murder case will depart for Kenya on January 15, the investigators apprised the Supreme Court (SC) conducting a suo motu hearing, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The JIT submitted the progress report on the Arshad Sharif murder case to the Supreme Court (SC) conducting the suo motu hearing on the journalist’s killing case.

The report stated that the special JIT members will depart for Kenya on January 15 to collect evidence and post-mortem report of Arshad Sharif. The post-mortem report will be submitted to the top court.

Prior to the submission of the JIT’s progress report, the SC Registrar Office rejected the ‘photocopy’ of Arshad Sharif post-mortem report.

READ: SC FIXES HEARING OF ARSHAD SHARIF SUO MOTU CASE

After the registrar’s objection, the JIT members submitted Sharif’s post-mortem report prepared in Kenya and the affidavit again. Sources said that the Registrar Office received the JIT’s progress report.

The top court will resume the hearing of the Arshad Sharif suo motu case on Thursday (tomorrow).

In a relevant development, the federal government approved the disbursement of funds to the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe into the Arshad Sharif killing case.

READ: ARSHAD SHARIF’S KILLING: CJP BANDIAL ORDERS TO REGISTER CASE TILL EVENING

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has announced that the federal government approved funds for the joint investigation team (JIT) on the martyr journalist Arshad Sharif’s killing case.

Rana Sanaullah, while addressing a press conference today, announced that the government approved funds for the JIT on Arshad Sharif’s killing case. “The team will visit Kenya and progress will be made on the probe.”

The Special JIT had sought funds for visiting Kenya and Dubai for the investigation on the orders of the top court. Funds of Rs10 million were sought from the Interior Ministry for the travel, and residence expenses of the five members of the JIT.

Moreover, the Pakistani Embassy in Kenya did not reply to the JIT, willing to probe in Nairobi, the sources say. It was learnt by ARY News that funds have not been issued by the government due to ban on the foreign tours. The matter of the release of funds was forwarded to PM Shehbaz Sharif after approval from the finance ministry.

Suo motu notice

After taking suo notice on December 6, the top court had ordered the special joint investigation team (JIT) to submit the progress report.

A five-member larger bench including CJP Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard the case.

On December 6, CJP Justice Umar Ata Bandial had ordered to register the murder case of senior journalist and ARY News’ former anchorperson Arshad Sharif, who was killed in Kenya in the month of September.

Arshad was shot dead in Kenya by the local police along the Nairobi-Magadi highway in a “mistaken identity case” on October 23. The official police statement later expressed “regrets on the unfortunate incident.”