ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday directed the federal government to keep the journalists’ associations on the board regarding probe into killing of senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif.

A single bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah while hearing a petition seeking probe into the tragic murder of the journalist in Kenya, termed formation of a judicial commission at this stage premature.

Barrister Shoaib Razzaq has filed a petition before the IHC requesting formation of a commission to investigate the circumstances under which the senior journalist left the country.

During the hearing, the deceased journalist’s lawyer Barrister Shoaib Razzaq appeared before the court and Justice Athar asked whether anyone had visited the family of Sharif and if his family needed any support.

Razzaq said that the deceased journalist’s body will arrive on Tuesday night and demanded formation of a judicial commission to investigate the murder.

He also informed the court that the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of interior were cooperating in this regard.

The IHC Chief Justice said that the incident was a matter between the two different countries and the State institutions could better resolve the issue.

The counsel highlighted that when Sharif had left the country earlier this year, 13 cases were registered against him and the government had asked the UAE government to deport him back to Pakistan.

The deputy attorney general told the court that all officials were currently working on the required steps and were waiting for the report from Kenyan government.

At this, the IHC Chief Justice said that he had come to the court today only to hear Arshad Sharif’s case.

The deputy attorney general maintained that this was a tragic incident and reiterated that they were waiting for the report from Kenya.

He added that if the counsel had any objection about the report, the case could be heard again.

Then, the court directed that the journalists’ organizations should be part of the board inquiring into the issue and that there was no benefit of judicial commission at this stage.

Later, the bench deferred the hearing in this matter for a week for further proceedings.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022