ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) honored slain journalist Arshad Sharif on Tuesday by conferring the ‘2023 Press Freedom Award’ on him. 

Sharif, an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s government and its powerful military, was killed when police shot at his car on the outskirts of Nairobi in October last year. Kenyan police later said the killing was a case of mistaken identity. 

However, a team of Pakistani investigators who probed his alleged murder, released a report in December 2022 saying that Sharif’s killing was a “planned, targeted assassination.”

The incident made headlines worldwide and triggered outrage among civil society, media and political circles. It also highlighted the dangers journalists in Pakistan face amid growing censorship and press freedom violations in the South Asian country. 

“Arshad Sharif’s experiences as a journalist in Pakistan were fraught with difficulties, including harassment and legal cases,” the PPF said in a statement. “His eventual decision to leave the country and subsequent murder in Kenya are a stark reminder of the dangers and challenges journalists face in Pakistan.”

The PPF said Sharif’s death should serve as a “wake-up call” for media professionals, institutions and state authorities in Pakistan about the dangers journalists face. 

“On World Press Freedom Day, PPF recognizes and honors Sharif’s contributions to freedom of expression,” it said. “As we honor the life of the late journalist, we urge authorities to conduct credible investigations into his murder and ensure that justice is served on those who forced Sharif to flee from Pakistan.”

Sharif’s family, including his wife Javeria Siddique, has accused the government of “not being serious” in probing her husband’s alleged murder. 

According to a recent report compiled by the Freedom Network, incidents of press freedom violations, which include threats, arrests and attacks against journalists in Pakistan, saw a 63 percent increase over the past eleven months. 

Pakistan is counted among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. A report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) last year said 93 journalists have been killed in the South Asian country over the past 20 years.