Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to form a judicial commission to investigate the death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced in a statement on Tuesday. The judicial commission is to be headed by a high court judge who will select media personnel as well as members from civil society to determine the facts of the slain journalist’s death. According to the minister, the premier took this decision to establish accurate facts surrounding the death. Body being repatriated to Islamabad The body of Arshad Sharif was being repatriated to Pakistan following the completion of legal procedures, Marriyum Aurangzeb further said. The PML-N leader said in a statement that legal matters regarding the incident were being swiftly handled after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto. Read IHC orders secys interior, foreign to 'immediately' meet slain journalist Arshad Sharif's family The minister added that Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kenya Saqlain Syedah had been monitoring the entire process and was also present at the airport till the plane carrying Sharif's body departed from the airport. Kenyan president assures 'all-out help' On Monday, PM Shehbaz held a telephone conversation with Kenyan President William Ruto following the tragic killing of the journalist in the city of Nairobi. During the call, the premier requested the Kenyan president to "ensure a fair and transparent" investigation. The prime minister added that the Kenyan president has promised all-out help, including the fast-tracking of the body's repatriation. Just had a telephonic call with Kenyan President William Ruto about the tragic death of Arshad Sharif in 🇰🇪. I requested him to ensure fair & transparent investigation into shocking incident. He promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of return of the body to 🇵🇰 — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 24, 2022 "Just had a telephonic call with Kenyan President William Ruto about the tragic death of Arshad Sharif in Kenya. I requested him to ensure fair & transparent investigation into shocking incident. He promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of return of the body to Pakistan," wrote the premier. Calls for probe escalate The untimely death of the journalist sent shock waves across rights organisations, the media fraternity and civil society and prompted calls for thorough investigation and disclosure of facts. The 49-year-old journalist fled the country in August to avoid arrest after he was slapped with multiple cases, including sedition charges over an interview with PTI leader Shahbaz Gill during which the latter had made controversial comments. Alleging threats to his life, Sharif had moved to Dubai in August and later relocated to Kenya. Read more Journalists express shock over Arshad Sharif's killing, call for probe Washington also urged Kenya to investigate. “We're deeply saddened by the death of Arshad Sharif. We encourage a full investigation by the government of Kenya into his death," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. He said that the US respected the right to free speech and condemned those who violated it. Similarly, the United Nations called for a thorough investigation of the circumstances in which the senior journalist was shot and killed in Kenya. "I saw the tragic reports about the incident," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in response to a question at the regular noon briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York. He hoped the Kenyan authorities would investigate the matter.
from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/ebqsARl
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