NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 24 – Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for ‘thorough investigations’ into the killing by police of a Pakistani journalist in Kenya.
The journalist, identified as Arshad Sharif, was shot dead by Kenya police in what authorities described as a ‘mistaken identity’ when a vehicle he was traveling in failed to stop at a check point.
“Shocked at the brutal murder of Arshad Sharif who paid the ultimate price for speaking the truth – his life,” Khan tweeted, adding “;He had to leave the country and be in hiding abroad but he continued to speak the truth on social media, exposing the powerful. Today the entire nation mourns his death.”
Sharif was shot in the head while his brother and a driver sustained injuries after their vehicle lost control and rolled in the incident that occurred in Kajiado on Sunday night.
Police Spokesman Bruno Shiosho said an investigation had been launched.
“The National Police regrets this unfortunate incicent,” he said, assuring that “competent authorities are currently investigating the incident for appropriate action.”
According to Shiosho, the incident followed the circulation from Pangani Police station of a stolen motor vehicle.
Officers had circulated the vehicle and stopped the vehicle the deceased was traveling in.
“The deceased’s motor vehicle came upon the police barrier which they drove through. It is then that they were shot at, fatally injuring the late Arshad Mohamed Shariff.”
In his tweet Monday, Khan demanded for “a proper judicial investigation” to unearth the truth behind the killing.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also condemned the incident, and launched an investigation.
The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) through its president Churchil Otieno too condemned the killing of the journalist and called for thorough investigations
