KARACHI: The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has announced that the 2023 Press Freedom Award has been conferred on slain journalist Arshad Sharif.
Arshad Sharif’s experiences as a journalist in Pakistan were fraught with difficulties, including harassment and legal cases. His eventual decision to leave the country and subsequent murder in Kenya are a stark reminder of the dangers and challenges journalists face in Pakistan. Sharif’s untimely death should serve as a wake-up call to media professionals and institutions, as well as state authorities in Pakistan, of the grave risks journalists face while performing their duties.
On World Press Freedom Day, PPF recognizes and honors Sharif’s contributions to freedom of expression. “However, there remains little clarity on the circumstances of his departure from Pakistan, his eventual arrival in Kenya, and his murder on October 23, 2022. As we honor the life of the late journalist, we urge authorities to conduct credible investigations into his murder and ensure that justice is served on those who forced Sharif to flee from Pakistan.
Initially, varying versions of his death came forward, with some reports claiming it was an accident and Kenyan media claiming it was a “mistaken identity” case. However, in December, a fact-finding team (FFT) comprising officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Intelligence Bureau determined that Sharif’s death was a result of a “planned targeted assassination”. The FFT report finds that the version of the Kenyan Police claiming the death to be a case of mistaken identity was “full of contradictions” and stated that the post-mortem indicates that the journalist had also been tortured.
In April 2022, there were reports that Sharif was facing harassment by the FIA. While the FIA had denied responsibility for the arrest or harassment, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had ordered the agency to stop harassing Sharif and other journalists. Having fled the country, Sharif was still not safe.
As Sharif’s murder is investigated, we again call upon authorities to ascertain the factors that led to his departure from Pakistan and eventual arrival in Kenya. Sharif’s ordeal is an alarming reminder of the lack of safety and the threats journalists face in Pakistan because of their work.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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