Islamabad: Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has called names of officers included in the Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) constituted to investigate the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif.
The SC five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Atta Bandiyal, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard the suo-motto hearing on the murder of Arshad Sharif case.
Interior Ministry presented fact finding report and a copy of an FIR lodged in Police station Ramna in Islamabad.
The CJ remarked that real facts of the brutal murder of Arshad Sharif are in Kenya, the matter be raised with the Kenyan officials while the CJ said that the work of fact finding committee is a praiseworthy.
The top court directed to include independent, capable and senior officers in the special investigation team for probe into the murder of the senior journalist.
The court directed the foreign office to assist the team in its investigation and collection of evidence abroad. It said that help of international agencies including the UN should be sought for investigation into the incident.
Additional Attorney General apprised that the Police has formed the JIT while Justice Muzahir Naqvi questioned that why didn’t case against police personnel of Kenya who gunned down the journalist registered? adding that this is a very serious matter and he warned that the government should also take the case seriously. He said that the court is not sitting here to listen to you only.
Additional Attorney General replied that it will be reviewed can an FIR be lodged against foreigners or not.
Mother of the slain journalist said that she needed justice for his son only adding that she has prepared a report which contains all person names who are involved in the murder of her son.
She submitted a closed envelope in the court. Besides that wife of the journalist also attended the hearing.
The CJ said that the government conduct the investigation will all angles while the CJ said that the mother of Arshad Sharif is mother of two martyrs son.
He instructed the police that the point of view of mother of martyr be listened with patience.
The CJ also directed to present all the names of officers included in the JIT constituted for Arshad Sharif murder.
The top court adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.
Earlier, the apex court announcing the suo-motto action said “The journalist community and people of the country in the country are deeply distressed and concerned about the death of the senior journalist and are seeking the court’s scrutiny of the matter.”
The court had issued notices to the interior secretary, foreign secretary, information secretary, director generals of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), Intelligence Bureau, and president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists.
Sharif was killed on the night of October 23 in Kenya by the Kenyan GSU officers in mysterious circumstances as he was being driven to Nairobi.
