On October 25, former prime minister of Pakistan and PTI Chief Imran Khan claimed that journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed in Kenya on October 23, was a victim of a targeted killing. During his speech at a lawyer’s convention in Peshawar, Pakistan, Khan called Sharif a ‘martyr’.
Sharif was shot dead in Kenya allegedly by the local police after the journalist failed to stop at a checkpoint. The police were looking for a vehicle stolen in a carjacking incident where a child was abducted. In a statement, the local police said it was a case of ‘mistaken identity’. The official police statement expressed ‘regrets on the unfortunate incident’ and added that an investigation was underway.
Khan claimed that Sharif was aware his life was in danger. Khan further claimed he had warned Sharif and asked him to leave the country. He said, “He knew his life was in danger. He knew he was repeatedly getting warnings. He didn’t step back. I told him [to back down but] he wasn’t scared and then lastly, this targeted killing. No matter what people say, I know this was targeted killing.” Khan called him a ‘brave patriot who never compromised his conscience’.
Chairman PTI @ImranKhanPTI talks about Shaheed Arshad Sharif pic.twitter.com/2yPBVkQxSe
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 25, 2022
He added, “Then I received information that they were about to kill him. They invaded his home and scared him in front of his family just so that he doesn’t speak the truth.” Khan said when Sharif refused to leave, he said to have received in the same manner he got information about a plot to kill him.
Khan pointed fingers at the Sharif and Zardari families and said, “He [Sharif] never spared any mafia. He exposed these two families (Sharif and Zardari families) in every programme with proof but no one could scare or buy him. Then he started getting threats from unknown numbers to ‘not say this or speak the truth’ when he started exposing this regime.”
Khan claimed Sharif left the country on his advice but was called back when his UAE Visa was about to expire. He further added they [the current regime] wanted to arrest Sharif like politicians Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill or reporter Jameel Farooqui was arrested. They were allegedly stripped naked and tortured during custody.
UN sought a thorough inquiry into Sharif’s death
As per Dawn’s report, United Nations sought a thorough inquiry into Sharif’s death in Kenya. During a daily press briefing, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric was asked about the killing of Sharif, he said, “I saw this tragic report of his death. I think the circumstances need to be investigated thoroughly, and the Kenyan authorities said they would, and I think the results of the investigation being shared quickly.”
Arshad Sharif linked Hindutva with terrorism, hated Modi
Sharif was also instrumental in a recent documentary based on corruption in the country that was about to be released soon. The film, titled ‘Behind Closed Doors,’ was based on corruption during the Nawaz Sharif government. Adil Raja, the permanent representative of Pakistan at the International Human Rights Foundation, stated that the documentary was the reason behind Sharif’s assassination. As per reports, Arshad Sharif had close ties with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
During the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, Arshad was involved in propagating hatred against Hindus. In his tweets, he used terms like RSS-BJP goons and Hindutva. In a video last year, Arshad Sharif said that Narendra Modi had divided Indian society into two parts by bringing fanatical policies of fascist Hindutva and violating the rights of minorities.
