Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar reached out to Kenyan President Dr. William Ruto on Tuesday, seeking assistance in expediting the investigation into the murder of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif. A tragic incident occurred on October 23 last year when Arshad Sharif, a journalist and news anchor, was shot and killed during his stay in Kenya.
During their meeting, which occurred on the sidelines of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China, Prime Minister Kakar requested President Ruto’s support in facilitating and concluding the report of the Special Joint Investigation Team in the murder case of the late journalist Arshad Sharif.
Justice for Arshad Sharif’s murder has remained elusive for nearly a year. Initially, Kenyan authorities claimed that a Kenyan police officer shot Sharif during an incident at a roadblock set up outside Nairobi while they were searching for a stolen vehicle. The incident shocked Pakistan’s media community and raised numerous questions.
In December 2022, Pakistan’s Supreme Court took notice of the case and ordered a government investigation into Sharif’s death. A government fact-finding team (FFT) report from December indicated that the Kenyan police account of the killing being a case of mistaken identity was fraught with contradictions. The report also raised the possibility of involvement by individuals in Kenya, Dubai, and Pakistan in the assassination.
Furthermore, the Pakistan post-mortem report documented various injuries on Sharif’s body, including missing fingernails, hand wounds, and a broken rib. However, the investigation did not uncover concrete evidence to about torturing him before his death.
Other Matters
In addition to discussing the investigation into Arshad Sharif’s murder, Prime Minister Kakar and President Ruto explored areas of bilateral cooperation and reiterated their commitment to enhancing trade, investment, education, and people-to-people connections. They emphasized the significance of economic collaboration and agreed to boost their engagement to realize the full potential of bilateral trade.
Prime Minister Kakar also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to furthering development and shared prosperity through increased cooperation and partnerships as a fellow member of the Belt and Road Initiative. President Ruto expressed Kenya’s interest in benefiting from Pakistan’s expertise in sectors such as agriculture and healthcare.
Additionally, they exchanged invitations for official visits, with President Ruto accepting an invitation to visit Pakistan and extending an invitation for Prime Minister Kakar to visit Kenya. Diplomatic channels will work out the specifics of these visits.
