ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice of the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya. A larger panel is soon to hear the case.
In a statement announcing the suo motu proceedings, the apex court stated that “the journalism community in the country and the public at large are greatly disturbed and worried over the murder of the prominent journalist and are demanding the court’s inspection of the matter.”
The CJP has sent notices to the president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, the director generals of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), the Intelligence Bureau, the interior secretary, the foreign secretary, the information secretary, and the secretary of state for foreign affairs, according to the court.
According to the statement, the matter will be heard by a larger, five-member bench, led by the CJP, at 12:30 today in the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has been urged repeatedly by PTI to investigate Sharif’s passing.
While also requesting the creation of a judicial panel to look into Sharif’s murder in a letter to the CJP, PM Shehbaz. The mother of the murdered journalist also made this demand.
As he was being driven to Nairobi on the evening of October 23, Sharif was assassinated in Kenya by Kenyan GSU personnel.The journalist was allegedly shot in a case of mistaken identity, according to the Kenyan police.
To investigate the murder, the government assembled a two-person team including representatives from the FIA and IB. The group had visited Kenya and the UAE.
After the investigative team’s return from Kenya, the FIA informed a Senate committee last month that it is drafting a report.
