Thousands attend funeral of slain Pakistani journalist – video
Thousands of Pakistani nationals attended the funeral of slain journalist Arshad Sharif which was held in Faisal Mosque, in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Mr Sharif was killed in Kenya on Sunday, 23 October, with his remains being transported back to Pakistan on Tuesday.
Islamabad:— Thousands attend funeral prayers of slain journalist Arshad Sharif in Faisal Mosque, Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/ZGpyb3q6ty
— South Asia Index (@SouthAsiaIndex) October 27, 2022
In what police say was a case of ‘mistaken identity,’ Mr Sharif, who was in the company of his brother Kurram Ahmed was on his way to Nairobi when they were stopped by GSU officers who, according to the police, were responding to reports that a stolen vehicle had been sighted in the area.
The police say that the officers were under the command of the inspector on duty and had been dispatched to set up the roadblock.
However, what still puzzles Kenyans is how police mistook Mr Sharif’s KDG 200M for the stolen vehicle, which bore the registration of KDJ 700F, and why they shot almost 20 times at a vehicle that allegedly had a minor.
As details surrounding his death continue to be investigated, Mr Sharif, an award-winning journalist, was vocally opposed to the ongoing political developments in Pakistan.
Sharif specialized in investigative journalism and covered many political events in his country for national and international news organizations and was about to release an investigative documentary that made allegations of corruption by ruling party leaders in Pakistan.
He fled Pakistan in August, citing threats to his life that he attributed to his publication of stories critical of the new administration.
Javeria Siddique, widow to Mr Sharif while in an interview with the Independent Urdu, a Pakistan-based news outlet, said, “Arshad was receiving threats for the last six months because of which he decided to leave the country. When (I) asked Arshad to file a request for asylum, he said, ‘Pakistan is my country, I (will) live and die there.’ He said he would return to Pakistan in a few days.”
Ms Siddique was the first to break the news of her husband’s death on Twitter.
I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya.
Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don't share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital.
Remember us in ur prayers. pic.twitter.com/wP1BJxqP5e— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) October 24, 2022