ISLAMABAD -UNS: The Islamabad police on Tuesday registered a first information report (FIR) against the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif — who was shot dead in Kenya — on orders of the Supreme Court.
The complaint was lodged by the station house officer (SHO) of the Ramna police station, Rasheed Ahmed, and nominated three persons — Waqar Ahmed, Khurram Ahmed, and Tariq Ahmed Wasi.
The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, invoked sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
SC directs govt to register FIR, seeks inquiry report
Earlier today, the Supreme Court, while taking suo notice of the “brutal killing” of journalist Arshad Sharif, directed the government to register a first information report (FIR) by tonight.
A larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, heard the case.
“The FIR should be registered by tonight,” CJP Bandial remarked as the court directed the authorities concerned to submit a copy to the court by tomorrow (Wednesday).
The court also sought the inquiry report of the committee formed by the government to probe the killing, adjourning the hearing till tomorrow.
During the hearing, the CJP wondered why the court had not yet been provided the report by the fact-finding committee. “Why has it not been provided to the court as yet?” the CJP asked.
The additional attorney general informed the court that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was in Faisalabad when the report was received. “The report will be handed over to the SC once Sanaullah peruses it,” he said.
“Does the interior minister have to make changes to the report?” the CJP asked, adding that the court could summon Sanaullah. It is the government’s job to investigate not the judiciary’s, he said.
“A journalist was killed. It should be revealed who was behind the killing,” the CJP remarked, adding that the fact-finding committee which had travelled to Kenya had been back in Pakistan for some time. “Why has the final report of the government formed commission not been provided to the SC?”
The additional attorney general responded by saying the report would be submitted by tomorrow. However, the CJP told him to submit it today so the hearing could continue tomorrow.“[We] have been waiting for the report for the past 43 days,” CJP Bandial said, terming Sharif’s medical report to be “unsatisfactory”. “We are taking the matter seriously. That is why a five-judge bench was constituted.”
Justice Ahsan remarked that Sharif was killed in Kenya under “suspicious circumstances”. “What action has the foreign ministry taken?” he asked.
Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed replied that the premier had contacted the Kenyan president in this regard. “The Pakistani High Commissioner in Kenya is in touch with the relevant authorities,” he said.
Justice Ahsan then asked whether it was true that a case had not yet been registered in Pakistan or in Kenya.
The foreign secretary responded by saying that he was not aware whether a case had been registered in Pakistan and would check with the Kenyan authorities regarding the same.
“Why was a case of Arshad Sharif’s killing not registered?” the CJP questioned, to which the foreign secretary said that a decision in this regard would be taken after the inquiry report was reviewed.
The court then asked the Foreign Office to submit a response to the court regarding the investigation and the registration of a FIR in Kenya.
