The body of Arshad Sharif, a Pakistani journalist who was killed in Kenya on Sunday, October 23 has been repatriated to Pakistan.
Sharif was reportedly killed by police at a roadblock on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital.
The veteran journalist until his death was working on a documentary about a Pakistani criminal cartel that had ties in Kenya when he was killed.
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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier on social media he had spoken to Kenyan President William Ruto and was assured that he would investigate the killing. He is not related to the journalist.
According to RFI, Kenya National Police Service (NPS) said in a statement that Sharif was killed by officers manning a roadblock after they mistook him and his brother Khurram Ahmed for kidnappers who had fled with a child from the Starehe neighbourhood in Nairobi.
The statement added that their car, driven by Khurram, went through a police roadblock late Sunday evening that had been hastily constructed using small stones. The officers opened fire as the car went through without stopping. Nine bullets hit the car, and one hit Sharif in the head.
Sharif had left Pakistan after threats on his life for critically reporting on the current prime minister.
According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Sharif left Pakistan after police issued an arrest warrant following his interview on ARY TV with Shahbaz Gill, a close aide to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who made comments considered offensive by the military.
Private Pakistani channel ARY TV was briefly taken off the air. ARY TV said on social media it was firing Sharif for breach of conduct.
He reportedly came to Kenya in August, and he had been working on a documentary that featured Kenyan investigative reporter John-Allan Namu. “Behind Closed Doors” was focusing on what International Human Rights Foundation permanent member Adil Raja called “state sponsored criminal cartel of Pakistan.”
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