Wife of Pakistani journalist shot dead in Kenya says asked him to seek asylum, he refused

In this picture taken on June 22, 2022, a top Pakistani news anchor Arshad Sharif speaks during an event on "Regime Change Conspiracy and Pakistan’s Destabilisation" in Islamabad. (AFP/File)
Short Url
Updated 24 October 2022
Follow

Wife of Pakistani journalist shot dead in Kenya says asked him to seek asylum, he refused

  • Lawyer of Arshad Sharif calls for judicial investigation into why the journalist was 'forced' to leave Pakistan
  • Sharif was believed to have been in the UAE since he fled Pakistan in August before travelling to Kenya

ISLAMABAD: The wife of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead in Kenya Sunday night, has said she advised her husband to seek asylum but he refused, media reported, while his lawyer called for the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to probe why the anchorman left Pakistan and what he was doing in the East African nation when he was killed. 

Sharif, a hugely popular talk show host at ARY News from which he resigned in August, was of late a harsh critic of the current ruling coalition and army and fled the country in August after remarks by a politician on a news bulletin he hosted were deemed “seditious” by the country’s media regulator and government.  

Sharif was already at the time facing a slew of court cases related to charges of sedition. He was believed to have been in the United Arab Emirates since he left Pakistan in August and had recently travelled to Kenya from the Emirates. 

"Arshad was receiving threats for the last six months because of which he decided to leave the country," Javeria Siddique, the wife of the slain journalist, told Independent Urdu. 

"When [I] asked Arshad to file a request for asylum, he said 'Pakistan is my country, I live and die there'. He said he would return to Pakistan in a few days." 

Siddique said she last spoke to her husband around 10pm Pakistani time on Sunday and later did not receive answers to her text messages. 

"I thought he might be busy with work. After a while, his number was switched off too," she said. 

"His friend from Nairobi called at 2am and informed he had an accident. Then after a while informed that [he] had been shot in the head and murdered." 




Media representatives shout slogans during a protest in Karachi on October 24, 2022, against the killing of Pakistani news anchor Arshad Sharif in Kenya. Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Kenya, his wife said on October 24, 2022. (AFP)

Sharif's lawyer Shoaib Razzaq said he had called on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to form a judicial commission to investigate why the anchorman had left Pakistan and what he had been doing in Kenya at the time of his murder.  

“We have asked the [Islamabad High] court in our appeal to form a judicial commission to dig out the circumstances which lead to his killing, why he had to leave the country [Pakistan],” Razzaq told Arab News over the phone on Monday. 

The IHC later has ordered the secretaries of the interior and foreign ministries to immediately meet Sharif’s family after an application seeking a probe into the matter was filed in the high court, Pakistan's Express Tribune paper reported. 

While hearing the petition on Monday, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah inquired where the body of the deceased journalist was to which Razzak said the body was still in Nairobi. 

Upon this, the court issued notices to the Interior and Foreign Ministry to meet with the deceased’s family at the earliest and submit a report in court by Tuesday. It also ordered authorities to take necessary steps required to transport Sharif’s body to Pakistan. 

A family member of Sharif’s who declined to be named said his UAE visa had expired and he traveled to Kenya by his own choice. The UAE has not yet commented on Sharif's visa status. 

Sharif was also refused a visa for the United Kingdom, his lawyer said, adding that he had planned to file a protective transit bail request for Sharif today, Monday, but instead filed a plea for the early repatriation of his body. 

“I was in contact with him on a daily basis and the last time we talked on the phone was yesterday [Sunday],” Razzaq said. “He always asked said he wanted to come back as he was missing Pakistan … He asked me yesterday to get his protective transit bail so that he can come back home.” 

The family was “completely broken” over the tragic death, the lawyer said, and it was hard to console them. 

“I got this news at 2am and went to Sharif’s home as I knew Sharif for the last 27 years and had family relations with them,” he said. “His daughter is doing an internship at my law firm and his elder son went to Canada for studies last month.” 

In a statement released on Monday, Kenya’s inspector general of police said Sharif’s car was shot at after a circular was issued for a stolen car. The journalist’s vehicle did not stop at a police barricade set up for the search of the missing car and was thus shot at, fatally wounding Sharif. 

Following the killing, Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Kenyan President William Ruto and requested a “fair and transparent investigation.” 

“He promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of return of the body to Pakistan,” PM Sharif said in a Twitter post. 

Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), a civilian watchdog, has started an investigation into Sharif’s killing, IPOA’s chairwoman Ann Makori told journalists at a news conference on Monday. 

“There’s an alleged police killing of a Pakistani national at Tinga market, Kajiado county, last evening. Our rapid response team has already been dispatched,” she said. 

On the instructions of the federal government, Pakistan’s attorney general Ashtar Ausaf Ali will write a letter to the Kenyan government to establish legal contact. 

“The Federal Government has decided to contact the Kenyan Government on the legal front and Attorney General will contact the will write a letter to them today,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. 

The Pakistani foreign office said the country’s high commissioner in Kenya received initial information about Sharif's death early in the morning. 

“The High Commissioner accordingly contacted the police authorities and senior officials at the ministry of foreign affairs and other departments. Office of the vice president was also contacted for confirmation,” the statement said, adding that the high commissioner and other officers from the mission reached the location and identified the journalist’s body. 




Pakistan High Commissioner to Kenya Saqlain Syedah talks on her mobile phone outside the Chiromo Mortuary, following the killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif who was shot dead when police opened fire on the vehicle as it went through a roadblock without stopping, in Magadi road on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on October 24, 2022. (REUTERS)

“Further procedures including a police report are awaited,” the foreign office said. “The High Commission will facilitate expeditious repatriation of mortal remains of Sharif in coordination with the host authorities.” 


Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf says won’t call off protest until Imran Khan released from prison

Updated 51 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf says won’t call off protest until Imran Khan released from prison

  • Khan’s party is leading a “long march” to Islamabad to call for release of Khan and other political prisoners 
  • Protest has coincided with visit by Belarus president, with government accusing PTI of trying to sabotage economic recovery

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: A march by thousands of supporters to demand the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan reached the edges of the Pakistani federal capital of Islamabad on Monday, with his wife Bushara Khan saying the demonstration would not be called off until the ex-premier was released from prison.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is leading a “long march” to the Pakistani capital from cities around the country to call for the release of political prisoners, including Khan, among other demands. The protesters plan to camp at D-Chowk, a high-security area in the capital’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings and is a popular site for protests, but the government has sealed all entry and exit points to the city with shipping containers and heavy contingents of police and other security forces have been stationed across Islamabad. 

Khan has been in jail since August last year and faces a slew of charges he says are politically motivated. 

“Until Khan does not return to us, we will not end this march,” Bushra said to supporters as the PTI edged closer to Islamabad. “I will stand there till my last breath, you people have to stand by me. I will keep standing even if nobody does because this does not concern just my husband but the country and its leader.”

The largest PTI protest caravan began its journey from Peshawar, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and accompanied by Bushra, who was released on bail in October after nearly nine months in detention. KP is ruled by Khan’s party, which is in opposition in the national parliament, and Gandapur is a key PTI leader and a close aide of Khan’s.

The PTI march started on Sunday but could not reach Islamabad as shipping containers placed by the government on key points on major highways slowed the pace of the caravans. 

“We wouldn’t let them storm the capital,” provincial Information Minister Uzma Bukhari told a news conference, adding that several police officials were injured in clashes and rioting at some places in the province.

Ahead of Khan’s protest, the government had imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings in the capital, citing security challenges and inconvenience to the public. Earlier this year, parliament also passed a new law to regulate public assembly in Islamabad, which said, among other rules, that any party or group wanting to hold a protest can only do so at a venue designated by the administration and during set timings.

Authorities have closed all schools in Islamabad and the adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi, while the Internet and WhatsApp messaging services also slowed.

ARRESTS AND CLASHES

On Monday afternoon, the caravan crossed barriers at Ghazi Barotha and the Hazara toll plaza before entering Punjab’s Attock district. Clashes between protesters and police were reported as the march reached the Kati Pahari area, with PTI workers struggling to clear the motorway under tear gas shelling.

Islamabad police confirmed over 400 arrests related to the protest in the past few days, saying the detainees were being held in different police stations. The PTI said over 3,500 of its leaders and supporters had been arrested in connection to the protests.

“So far, no major clashes have been reported today within Islamabad’s jurisdiction,” Jawad Taqi, the police spokesperson, told Arab News. “Police remain vigilant and prepared to uphold law and order in the capital.”

Another police official in the nearby city of Rawalpindi also reported a “calmer situation,” following minor clashes on Saturday near the peripheries of the federal capital.

“Several individuals have been arrested, but the exact number will be confirmed later,” Sajjad Ali, Punjab Police spokesperson in Rawalpindi, said. “Some police officials were injured yesterday, and further details will be shared soon.”

PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai, who is part of the caravan, told Arab News over the phone the march would carry on until it reached D-Chowk. 

“We will only return from D-Chowk when Imran Khan and other innocent party workers are released from Pakistani prisons,” he said. 

The PTI’s march has coincided with a visit to Islamabad by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and a 68-member delegation to discuss investment deals. The government has accused the PTI of trying to sabotage the foreign visit in a bid to destabilize its economic recovery efforts. 

Yousafzai rejected this criticism, saying his party had called the protest well before the Belarusian delegation’s arrival was announced. 

“We have not blocked the roads,” he added. “The government has blocked the roads, creating a situation like this. The government should have held talks with the PTI instead of blocking the roads.”

KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif also said the PTI planned to hold a “protracted protest.”

“We are advancing according to our plan and are not in a hurry,” he said. “The government should prepare food supplies for the police for several days because we won’t stop until our demands are met.”

A report prepared by Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance estimated economic losses of Rs190 billion ($684 million) per day due to political protests.

Police officers sit on motorbikes with shipping containers in the background, used to prevent an anti-government rally by supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in Islamabad on November 24, 2024. (REUTERS)

 


Islamabad, Minsk sign several MoUs ahead of President Lukashenko’s visit to Pakistan today

Updated 44 min 30 sec ago
Follow

Islamabad, Minsk sign several MoUs ahead of President Lukashenko’s visit to Pakistan today

  • Both sides sign agreements related to tractors, pharmaceuticals, tires and veterinary medicines
  • Pakistan has increasingly eyed foreign trade and investment to ensure economic stability

ISLAMABAD: Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Monday, for a three-day visit to the country as Islamabad eyes foreign investment in its renewed efforts to ensure economic growth and stability.
Pakistan’s government has been seeking foreign trade, investment and bilateral cooperation agreements with old and new allies as it seeks to keep its $350 billion fragile economy afloat whilst grappling with a macroeconomic crisis. 
A 68-member delegation from Belarus arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Sunday ahead of Lukashenko’s visit. The Belarusian delegation arrives in the capital as thousands of supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan march toward Islamabad, demanding his release from prison, independence of the judiciary and to register their protest against alleged rigging in the country’s February general election. 
“President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko will undertake three-day visit to Pakistan from today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report. 
Belarus’ Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov oversaw the signing of several agreements in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed Ryzhenkov to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the two discussed bilateral and regional issues, and the agenda of Lukashenko’s visit. 
During a meeting of the Pakistan Belarus Business Forum, the two sides signed MoUs related to tractors, pharmaceuticals, tires and veterinary medicines. 
“The two sides emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation in international and regional organizations to advance mutual interest and to jointly address global challenges,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.
Pakistan and Belarus, the world’s 74th-largest economy by GDP, celebrated thirty years of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and maintains an embassy in Minsk.
The prime minister of Belarus was in Islamabad earlier this year where he met his counterpart as well as the chief of the Pakistan army, among other key leaders.
In September, Pakistan and Belarus discussed different options for a joint venture to establish a tractor plant in the country and reached a consensus on collaborating on a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to protect cattle, as well as on the capacity building of agricultural engineers in machinery design.
They also agreed to enhance cooperation in the sectors of livestock and seeds, and work together on the mechanization of agriculture and on increasing market access for agricultural and livestock products. Belarus also wants to set up a veterinary medicine plant in Pakistan.
The First Pakistan-Belarus Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was held in 2015 in which the two countries agreed to initiate joint ventures in the textile, pharmaceutical and lighting solution industries and share technological expertise.


Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women

Updated 25 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women

  • Zardari urges ‘systematic reforms’ on International Day to End Violence Against Women
  • Pakistan has introduced laws to protect women, but their implementation is inadequate

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for intensified efforts to eliminate violence against women, emphasizing education and financial independence as essential tools to empower women and ensure their safety.
Zardari issued the statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on November 25, to highlight the global issue of gender-based violence, which affects one in three women worldwide, according to the United Nations.
In Pakistan, the problem is compounded by deeply rooted patriarchal norms, with incidents of domestic abuse, honor killings and workplace harassment remaining widespread despite existing laws.
“Today, we renew our commitment to protecting women’s rights, providing a safe and supportive environment and eradicating violence,” the president said in a statement. “It is essential to provide women with education and skills and ensure their financial independence.”
“Every year, thousands of women lose their lives due to violence,” he added. “To prevent violence against women, strategies and systemic reforms must be implemented.”
Pakistan has introduced several laws to protect women, including legislation against sexual violence and workplace harassment. However, human rights organizations point to significant gaps in enforcement and the persistence of discriminatory attitudes that undermine women’s safety.
The president described violence against women as a “major human rights issue,” stressing the importance of raising awareness about women’s rights and the urgent need for collective action to create a safer society.
“Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women,” he said.
The president also recalled how Pakistan’s only female prime minister, his late wife Benazir Bhutto, emphasized economic freedom and social equality to improve the quality of life for women in the country.
He said she aspired to create a society free from exploitation and mistreatment of women.
“I am pleased that meaningful efforts are being made in Pakistan to eliminate violence against women,” he added. “Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women.”


Elephant Madhubala set to reunite with kin on Tuesday after 15-year separation

Updated 25 November 2024
Follow

Elephant Madhubala set to reunite with kin on Tuesday after 15-year separation

  • Madhubala has languished in Karachi Zoo’s solitary confinement since April 2023 after elephant Noor Jehan died
  • Animal rights activists have campaigned for elephants to be shifted to species-appropriate sanctuaries 

KARACHI: Elephant Madhubala is set to be reunited with her cousins at Karachi’s Safari Park sanctuary on Tuesday after being separated from them for 15 years and spending a year in solitary confinement, an animal welfare organization said. 
Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, was brought to the country in 2009 along with three other elephants from Tanzania. She and her companion, Noor Jehan, were separated from their kin about 15 years ago and brought to the Karachi Zoo. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

Noor Jehan passed away in April 2023, leaving Madhubala in solitary confinement at the zoo since then. Animal rights organizations have vigorously campaigned for Madhubala to be shifted to the Safari Park, saying the solitary confinement has taken a toll on her health. 
A team from FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, has arrived in Karachi to oversee Madhubala’s transfer to the sanctuary. 
“I’m excited to see how Madhubala will react when she meets her cousins,” Dr. Amir Khalil, director of reveal and rescue at FOUR PAWS, told Arab News. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows officials from the FOUR PAWS work on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

“Imagine someone who hasn’t seen their siblings in fifteen years — how will she feel when they finally reunite?”
Animal rights activists have long campaigned against the plight of animals in Pakistan, especially elephants, and demanded they be shifted to “species-appropriate” locations such as the Safari Park.
FOUR PAWS has said the elephant enclosures at Safari Park would have water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust will be provided for Madhubala to dust bathe while the area is secured by elephant-proof fencing.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

Four Paws said in a statement last month that the adaptation work at Karachi’s Safari Park had reached its final stage. Madhubala will be carried from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park in a huge transport crate. 
The elephant was trained to enter and exit the crate by herself and sit inside it earlier this year. 
“As part of the final preparations, the focus now lies on completing the landscaping of the elephant enclosure at Safari Park, finalizing enrichment features, and continuing the necessary training of the three elephants, including resuming crate training for Madhubala,” FOUR PAWS said last month.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows official from the FOUR PAWS works on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

The relocation, among others, will be witnessed by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, the consul general of the United Arab Emirates and the ambassador of Austria.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

 


Pakistan Senate chairman leaves for Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral ties

Updated 56 min 52 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan Senate chairman leaves for Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral ties

  • Yousuf Raza Gillani to meet Saudi Shoura Council chairman, governors of Riyadh and Madinah during visit
  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia closely cooperate in defense, military, economy, trade and other vital sectors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani left for a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia on Monday with his visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and promoting institutional cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh, the Senate Secretariat said. 
The invitation to Gillani and his delegation was extended by Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, the secretariat said. The Majlis Al-Shoura, or Consultative Council, is a legislative body that advises the Saudi king on issues that are important to Saudi Arabia.
“Chairman Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has left for a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia with a delegation,” the Senate Secretariat said in a statement. 
“The aim of the visit is to further promote bilateral relations and institutional cooperation.”
The Pakistani delegation will hold high-level meetings with the Shoura Council chairman, governors of Madinah and Riyadh, and conduct other high-level meetings, it said. 
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial relations that have resulted in close cooperation in defense, military, economic and other sectors. 
Last month, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed investment agreements worth $2.8 billion while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pledged to expedite a $5 billion investment portfolio for Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia has frequently bailed Pakistan out of its economic crisis over the years, coming to its aid with loan rollovers and providing oil on deferred payments to Islamabad.