An Islamabad district and sessions court has halted proceedings in the case of journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder due to what it describes as a “lack of interest” from the prosecution. The court made this decision after repeated summons to the witnesses and the accused individuals went unanswered.
The case dates back to October 2022 when Arshad Sharif, a vocal critic of the government and military establishment, was shot dead in Kenya. The trial court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the spouse of the slain journalist, the producer of a private television channel, and other witnesses for failing to appear before the court and record their statements.
The summons were allegedly not received by Summaiya Arshad, the spouse of the slain journalist, who only found out about the warrants through media reports. She clarified that the case in which she was being summoned was not filed by her family but by the state. It is worth noting that the Supreme Court has also taken notice of the murder case.
Despite numerous opportunities given to the prosecution to present evidence, the witnesses repeatedly failed to appear before the court. Consequently, the trial court decided to halt the proceedings. However, the complainant/prosecution has the liberty to apply for a new date when all the witnesses are available to testify.
Arshad Sharif’s murder case gained international attention, with initial reports suggesting it was a case of “mistaken identity.” Later, the Kenyan media revealed that an occupant in Sharif’s car had fired at paramilitary officers. The Pakistan government even sent a team to Kenya to investigate the murder.
The Islamabad police registered the FIR against the murder on the orders of the Supreme Court in December 2022. The complaint was filed by the station house officer of the Ramna police station. The FIR stated that the murder occurred in Kenya on October 23 and that the cause of death was due to gunshot wounds.
It remains unclear why the case was registered by the police instead of the slain journalist’s family members. Siddique, Arshad Sharif’s mother, had questioned this decision, stating that she should have been the one to file the FIR.
Despite the temporary halt in proceedings, it is expected that the trial will resume once all the witnesses are available to testify and present evidence.