Mother of slain Pakistani journalist asks top Supreme Court judge to form judicial inquiry commission

ISLAMABAD: The mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif wrote a letter to the country’s chief justice on Wednesday, requesting him to form a judicial commission to look into her son’s killing in Kenya last month. 
Sharif, who did a talk show with a local news channel, was killed on October 23 when his car sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital, prompting the police to open fire. The law enforcement officials in Nairobi expressed regret over the incident, saying it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a car involved in a child abduction case. 
The deceased journalist, who of late had been a harsh critic of the incumbent government and the military, had to leave the country after several cases related to charges of sedition and others were filed against him. He was believed to have been in the United Arab Emirates since he left Pakistan and had recently traveled to Kenya from the Emirates. 
The Pakistan government recently announced it was setting up a commission — led by a retired judge — to investigate Sharif’s killing. But his mother said she wanted a high-powered judicial commission while seeking justice in the case. 
“I, mother of Shaheed [martyr] Arshad Sharif request your honor to protect my Shaheed son’s murder case from becoming controversial and justice be provided Shaheed Arshad Sharif from Pakistan’s highest court,” said the mother, Riffat Ara Alvi, in her letter to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. “I further request your honor to take legal action in accordance with law and appoint a High Powered Judicial Commission so that the feeling of insecurity among the family members of Shaheed Arshad Sharif along with the Journalist community is taken care of.” 
Sharif’s mother added the commission should have senior Supreme Court judges “to determine the real motive and identify criminals behind this heinous crime.” 
She pointed out the Kenyan police had changed their statements regarding her son’s killing several times. 
Besides, she noted that several Pakistani ministers had come up with “fabricated stories in relation to the death” of her son which were available on media record. 
“The Prime Minister in his statement had made an announcement that a letter will be written to Islamabad High Court to appoint a high power judicial commission,” she continued. “However, unfortunately,  contradictory to his statement one retired Justice Abdul Shakoor Piracha and two federal government officials have been made members of the commission which indicates malafide intentions of the government.” 
Sharif’s mother also reminded the chief justice that her son had written a letter to him in July “to bring into your notice the threats to his life and the numerous baseless criminal cases initiated [against him] across the country by the present government.” 
She hoped her letter would receive “due attention given the gravity of the case” and not be ignored. 
The death of Sharif, who was laid to rest in Islamabad on October 27, unleashed outrage among the public and media in Pakistan, and calls for a transparent investigation into the killing.