RAWALPINDI: Director General of Military’s media wing Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said Army demanded a ‘highest level’ probe into alleged murder of slain journalist Arshad Sharif.

Sharif, a top investigative journalist and anchor, was shot dead in Kenya on Sunday night, his wife had confirmed on Monday morning. Kenyan police later confirmed his demise by saying that Pakistani journalist was ‘mistakenly’ killed by a policeman. “We have requested government to hold a high-level investigation so that all these speculations can be put to rest,” DG ISPR said in an interview with a private news channel.

“Kenyan government has accepted Sharif was murdered mistakenly,” General said, adding that ‘baseless’ speculations were taking place after incident.

“It is very unfortunate that people indulge in allegations and I think a thorough investigation needs to be conducted to tackle these things. I believe that probe should not just be into these things but also on why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan,” DG ISPR said. “Because in all these stages, unfortunately, allegations are leveled at end of day and institutions are accused. So this speculation has to be put to rest and it has to come to an end,” he mentioned.

“And this is why we have requested government of Pakistan to take legal action against all these people who are leveling allegations without any evidence,” he added. Recalling Sharif’s work over years, DG ISPR said that journalist was a “very professional man” and his programmes would be remembered as “textbook journalism”.

 “This is why it is most upsetting that his death is being used for baseless conversations and fingers are being raised on it. We just have to see who is using this unfortunate incident who is beneficiary of this thing this needs to come to an end,” Gen Iftikhar added. Hours before the DG ISPR’s interview, in a speech at a lawyer convention in Peshawar, PTI Chief Imran Khan claimed that slain journalist was a victim of “target killing”.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 26 2022

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