Mysterious murder of a Pakistani journalist has become an explosive political issue
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The mysterious death of a leading TV anchor in a police shootout in Kenya has turned into an explosive political issue in Pakistan. Some months ago, Arshad Sharif had fled the country fearing for his safety after a treason case was filed against him. He arrived in Kenya a day earlier and was being hosted by a Pakistani friend at a farmhouse outside the capital Nairobi. Kenyan police said the shooting was caused by “mistaken identity.”
But former prime minister Imran Khan and many journalists claimed that the slain journalist was the victim of a targeted killing. Sharif had become very critical of the military establishment since the fall of the Khan government in April this year. He fled to Dubai in August when an arrest warrant was issued against him. He told his friends that his life was under threat.
Predictably, fingers were pointed toward the Pakistani military intelligence agencies for plotting the murder of the self-exiled journalist. Contradictory statements issued by the Kenyan police have raised several questions about the circumstances of Sharif’s death.
Initially, the police said that it was a case of mistaken identity. But later gave a totally different version claiming Sharif’s host who was driving the car defied orders at a checkpoint and fired shots that prompted police to shoot back. Curiously, the other two men in the car remained unscathed.
There are too many questions surrounding the killing of the journalist that need to be answered both by the Kenyan and Pakistani authorities.
Zahid Hussain
The mystery surrounding the killing has reinforced conspiracy theories. Social media has been swarmed by posts directly accusing the military leadership of killing the journalist through “hired assassins.” Widespread anti-military sentiments fueled by the fall of the Imran Khan government has made the situation extremely volatile.
The perception of the possible involvement of Pakistani intelligence agencies in the cold-blooded murder of a popular TV anchor has been reinforced by a statement issued by a former governor of Nairobi who claimed that the police were ‘tricked’ into shooting the Pakistani national thinking he was involved in vehicle theft. He believed Sharif was trailed by a “Pakistani killer squad” due to an investigation he was doing into a money laundering syndicate involving Pakistani politicians.
Khan who is already on a war path against the security establishment, has weaponized the incident, implicitly accusing the intelligence agencies of plotting the murder. “No matter what people say, I know this was targeted killing” the former prime minister said in a statement.
Arshad Sharif’s killing has given further ammunition to the opposition’s campaign. The former prime minister last week launched his much-awaited long march to force the government to announce the election date. What the opposition party describes as a “freedom march” is also aimed at mobilizing public support against his disqualification from the National Assembly. The election commission last month penalized the former prime minister for not reporting the money he received from selling the gifts he received from various world leaders while in office.
As public anger grew, the Pakistan government ordered an inquiry into the incident. But it has failed to calm down public outrage. Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, ISI chief Lt General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum rebutted the allegation that the agency was involved in the journalist’s murder. He also lashed out at the former minister for maligning the military leadership.
It has been unprecedented for a spy master to appear before the media on any issue. It is apparent that the country’s premier intelligence agency is feeling the heat with the growing public outrage over the journalist’s murder. Instead of calming down the situation, the ISI’s chief’s statement has vitiated the political climate. It was also indicative of heightening tensions in the country. The unfortunate killing of journalist Arshad Sharif has brought the confrontation between the former prime minister and the military to a head, plunging the country into complete anarchy.
There are too many questions surrounding the killing of the journalist that need to be answered both by the Kenyan and Pakistani authorities. It may be an accidental death but the truth must come out. The responsibility lies squarely with the Pakistani civil and military authorities to conduct an impartial and transparent inquiry into the matter. The incident has given a new and more dangerous twist to a highly explosive political situation that is fast becoming untenable. Pakistani civil and military authorities are needed to act fast before it’s too late.
- Zahid Hussain is an award-winning journalist and author. He is a former scholar at Woodrow Wilson Centre and a visiting fellow at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and at the Stimson Center in DC. He is author of Frontline Pakistan: The struggle with Militant Islam and The Scorpion’s tail: The relentless rise of Islamic militants in Pakistan. Frontline Pakistan was the book of the year (2007) by the WSJ. His latest book ‘No-Win War’ was published this year. Twitter: @hidhussain
