Arshad Sharif's death: DG ISPR demands legal action against rumour mongers

RAWALPINDI: Following the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Babar Iftikhar has demanded legal action against those accusing state institutions ‘without any evidence’, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Talking to a private news channel, the DG ISPR noted that Pakistan military has urged the federal government to conduct a ‘high-level’ investigation into the killing of Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

“We have requested the government to hold a high-level investigation so that all these speculations can be put to rest,” Babar Iftikhar said in response to a question about the allegations being levelled against the state institutions regarding Sharif’s killing.

He further said, “It is very unfortunate that people indulge in allegations without any evidence and I think a thorough investigation needs to be conducted to tackle these things.”

The DG ISPR also said that a probe should also be conducted on why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan. “It is important to find answers to questions regarding who forced Sharif to leave Pakistan, and what were the circumstances leading to this incident,” he added.

“Because in such circumstances, allegations are leveled at the end of the day, and institutions are accused,” he said, adding that that’s why the military has requested the government to take legal action against all these people who are leveling allegations without any evidence.

Calling Sharif a ‘very professional man’, Babar Iftikhar said that his programmes would be remembered as ‘textbook journalism’. “We just have to see who is using this unfortunate incident, who is the beneficiary of this thing and this needs to end,” Gen Iftikhar concluded.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the formation of a judicial commission to probe the killing of senior journalist and former ARY News anchorperson Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Kenya by the local police on Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway in a “mistaken identity case”. The official police statement later expressing “regrets on the unfortunate incident” and saying an investigation was underway.

In a statement today, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the federal government has decided to form a judicial commission under the supervision of high court judge to probe the murder of prominent journalist.

Senior journalist’s killing incident

Sharif embraced martyrdom after an accident on the outskirts of Kenya’s Nairobi city on Sunday night.

The incident took place when he was travelling to 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.

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 were in, following a carjacking incident in Nairobi in which a child was allegedly taken hostage.

Profile

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