Arshad Sharif's killing: CJP Bandial orders to register case till evening

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bndial on Tuesday 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.”

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.

Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed, the secretary of the interior, the secretary of information and broadcasting and the PFUJ president appeared before the court after being summoned.

At the outset of the hearing, CJP Bandial asked the additional attorney general of Pakistan, if the fact-finding inquiry committee has returned to Pakistan long ago and why the report has not been submitted to the SC yet.

The report has been finalized and will be submitted to the SC after review by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the AAGP replied to the CJP’s query.

Why does he want to look at the report before the submission? Is he planning to change it, CJP remarked.

Read more: In letter to CJP, Imran Khan demands judicial inquiry into Arshad Sharif’s killing

It has been more than 40 days since the nation is waiting for the inquiry report. The CJP Bandial asked the AAGP to submit the report on Arshad Sharif’s killing today and register the case till evening.

Later, the hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan took suo moto notice of senior journalist and ARY News’ former anchorperson Arshad Sharif’s killing in Kenya.

Notices were served to the secretary of the interior, foreign secretary, secretary of information and broadcasting, the DG FIA and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) president.

Imran Khan pens letter to CJP

Last week, former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan penned down a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif.

In the letter, Imran Khan demanded the chief justice to constitute a ‘free’ judicial commission to investigate the murder of senior journalist.

Thousands of Pakistani citizens have written letters to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, demanding justice for the journalist.