Arshad Sharif’s family asks CJP to form high level judicial commission to probe journalist’s killing

ISLAMABAD – November 2 (ONLINE) Slain journalist Arshad Sharif’s mother on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial and demanded the establishment of a ‘high level judicial commission’ to probe into her son’s demise.

Arshad Shairf, a premier investigative journalist and anchorperson, was killed mysteriously in Kenya after receiving head shots. Kenyan police first claimed the journalist was killed by Kenyan police official in case of a ‘mistaken identity’, but later shuffled its claim by saying that Sharif was allegedly killed during ‘exchange of fire’.

Pakistan government had formed a probe team, consisting of one official each from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Intelligence Bureau, which is currently in Kenya to dig the facts out.

However, Sharif’s family has constantly raised concerns over the authenticity of probe team. On Wednesday, Arshad Sharif’s mother wrote a letter to the CJP Umar Ata Bandial, and demanded formation of a high level judicial commission.

In the letter, Sharif’s mother has pleaded the Chief Judge for justice. She has requested the CJP to save her child’s murder investigations from ‘political bias and insincerity’.

The letter states Sharif’s mother as saying that she hopes her communiqué will not be put into morgue as her son’s dead body was. She said that Arshad’s family’s and the journalist fraternity’s ‘distrust and anger’ could only be erased only if justice is fulfilled. She said Kenyan Police has changed its stance several time and she did not trust the Kenyan authorities anymore.