Pakistan mourns the loss of its top journalist, Arshad Sharif, shot dead in Kenya

Arshad Sharif, Pakistan’s most loved journalist was shot dead in Kenya this morning. Arshad had the left the country after death threats were made and apparently there was a bounty on his head. Some even alleged that ‘Behind closed doors’- a documentary on the Sharif family’s massive corruption led to the death of Arshad, as he was a major contributor to the documentary.

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Mystery surrounds the circumstances that led to the journalist’s death. Some Pakistani media outlets initially reported Sharif had been shot at but then said he died in an accident. Sharif’s wife later tweeted he had been shot dead.

However, Kenyan media quoted local police as saying that Sharif was shot dead by police in a case of “mistaken identity”. It said the incident took place on Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway.

The statement from the Kenyan media was received with skepticism in Pakistan, with journalists demanding the government to hold a “transparent inquiry” and bring facts to light.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said “a long and grim record of violent tactics to silence journalists” was why Sharif’s reported murder “sent shock waves through the journalist community”.

“The government must pursue an immediate, transparent inquiry into the circumstances of his death,” the HRCP demanded.

Source: Dawn