ISLAMABAD : Dec 7, 2022. The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) resumed hearing in Arshad Sharif murder case on Wednesday again.
A 5-member bench is hearing the murder case of journalist Arshad Sharif. Chief justice , Umar Atta Bandial , is heading the bench .
On the outset of the hearing , Assistant Attorney General (AAG) submitted the fact finding report of the case. The report contains 592 pages and bears the signatures of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Muhammad Athar Waheed and Intelligence Burea (IB) Deputy Director General Omar Shahid Hamid.
The fact finding report that the journalist was dodged to travel to Kenya to kill him. The report added that Arshad Sharif’s murder was a well thought conspiracy and its planners and executors were present in Kenya, Dubai and Pakistan. AAG also submitted a copy of the FIR registered a day earlier to the bench.
On the basis of the fact finding report, Interior minister Rana Sanaullah had claimed in a press talk a few days ago that Arshad Sharif’s death was not a miss identify case rather a cold blooded murder . He had also named Waqar , Khurrum and Tariq Wasi among those who could be involved in killing of the journalist.
Khurrum and Waqar belong to Karachi and they were hosts of Arshad Sharif in Kenya. Zafar Wasi , alleged third character of the conspiracy had made arrangements for travel from Dubai to Kenya. The government of Pakistan is intending to investigate these three alleged characters of the conspiracy.
The director general FIA, director general Intelligence Bureau (IB) and mother and widow of the slain journalist were present in the SCP.
The SCP rejected the joint investigating team formed by the government and directed the AAG to inform the concerned authorities to form a special JIT led by competent officials . The bench asked the government that it should submit the list of the officials having good repute to be part of special JIT and investigate Killing of journalist Arshad Sharif . The court also directed to the Foreign Office to take United Nations help if needed to nab accused involved in killing of Arshad Sharif.
The bench will resume hearing in this case on Thursday again.