Nairobi, Kenya (Commonwealth Union)_ Arshad Sharif, during his time was a rebel. As a journalist, he openly displayed his distaste in the political corruption that stained his motherland. He was a successful journalist and had his own TV show named POWERPLAY which aired twice every week. He expressed his obvious criticism to the military and the government, due to which he was compelled to flee Pakistan in July of 2022. He migrated to Kenya, where he was brutally murdered by the Kenyan Police force last week for not stopping at a roadblock.
The Reporters Without Borders media activists group reported that the journalist had been shot dead with two bullets in vague circumstances and urged the authorities to investigate this case with priority as it was a gruesome and disturbing murder, as well as the loss of an innocent life.
In their defence, the Kenyan Police expressed regret and apology as it was a case of mistaken identity during their hunt on a similar car charged with child abduction. Arshad Sharif was driving on the Nairobi-Magadi highway with his brother, and happened to miss the roadblock. The police, in their statement said that they ignored their order to stop and sped through the highway, causing open fire where the car flipped over.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan gave his condolences and requested for the Kenyan president to investigate this case with urgency and transparency. “We had an incident of shooting which turned (out) to be a case of mistaken identity involving a journalist. We will release more information later,” a senior Kenyan police officer said during the multiple inquiries.
A few days later, hundreds of journalists took to the streets in Pakistan, protesting for the rights of the dead journalist. “We do not believe the version of the Kenyan Police,” said Hamid Mir, a veteran journalist. These demands rose after the feeble statement by the Kenyan Police, causing outrage within Pakistan’s journalism community.
