In a major development, the Supreme Court has rejected the report of the Special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif.
According to the details, the team returned to Pakistan, last week after completing its inquiry in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. It then submitted the report to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Chamber earlier in the day.
The case was heard by a five-member bench, comprising CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Jamal Mandokhel, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar.
During the hearing today, Justice Umar Ata Bandial reportedly rejected the report submitted by the special JIT and termed it as a story of ‘failures’ only. The top judge also asked the JIT head and the additional attorney general to find out who leaked the fact-finding report of the case.
Read more: Fact-finding report on Arshad Sharif’s murder reveals alarming details
The SC adjourned hearing of the Arshad Sharif murder case hearing until the first week of March and gave a month to the Foreign Office to determine the time to seek help from the UN.
ارشدشریف کیس،جےآئی ٹی کی دوسری پیشرفت رپورٹ سپریم کورٹ میں پیش۔۔
کہانیاں نہیں،بتائیں کینیاسےکچھ ملا۔۔جسٹس مظاہرنقوی
کوئی ٹھوس ثبوت نہیں ملا۔۔جےآئی ٹی سربراہ
ارشدشریف کاموبائل،لیپ ٹاپ کہاں۔۔جج صاحب
وہ کینیا کےآئی ٹی ڈیپارٹمنٹ کےپاس۔۔جےآئی ٹی سربراہواہ جےآئی ٹی واہ،کمال پرفارمنس
— Irshad Bhatti (@IrshadBhatti336) February 13, 2023
The senior journalist and former ARY News anchor, Arshad Sharif, was killed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 23 where he was living in self-exile. Kenyan police first said that the journalist was killed in a case of “mistaken identity” but since his post-mortem and his body’s transfer to his Pakistan, several Kenyan news outlets have not only questioned the police’s conduct but have raised questions over the manner in which he was killed.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding Arshad Sharif’s murder had raised a storm in Pakistan, with the Supreme Court of Pakistan taking a suo moto notice of the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif to ensure an independent and transparent investigation is carried out in the case. On December 8, the federal government formed a new special joint investigation team to probe the murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif with the SC.
Read more: HRCP honors late Arshad Sharif with human rights award of 2022