Kenyan officials “reluctant” to assist in Arshad Sharif case, SC told

ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the Supreme Court was informed by the Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) looking into the death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif that Kenyan authorities were reluctant to assist with the investigation.

Before a five-judge panel of the supreme court, presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Amir Rehman provided a progress report. He also stated that Kenyan authorities had charged two police officers for using excessive force. However, he added that no SJIT members were permitted to look into any specific people or to visit the crime scene. The AAG also acknowledged that the investigation team in Kenya was unable to find any fresh tangible materials or evidence.

He added that the Kenyan president had been asked for a phone call in January through Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but Kenya had not yet responded. Rehman continued by saying that the SJIT was also denied the opportunity to meet the brothers Khurram and Waqar, who sponsored and hosted Sharif in the nation of east Africa. The AAG insisted that Kenya was a friendly nation and that Pakistan could not do anything that might interfere with the two nations’ ability to work together on international issues. Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan argued, however, that the UN should be involved in the situation. He also inquired about the JIT’s investigation into the events that led the journalist to leave Pakistan.