ISLAMABAD: A global media rights organization on Wednesday called for an independent international investigation into a Pakistani journalist’s murder in Kenya last year in October after two UN special rapporteurs wrote to the Pakistani and Kenyan authorities to highlight their inability to cooperate and conduct any serious investigation.
Arshad Sharif was shot and killed by the police in the African state that said his vehicle had sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Later, the police authorities expressed regret over the incident, saying it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a similar car involved in a child abduction case.
Sharif, who became increasingly critical of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment after the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan from power in April 2022, decided to leave his country just a few weeks before his murder to avoid arrest on charges of maligning state institutions. He briefly spent some time in the United Arab Emirates and ultimately arrived in Kenya.
The UN special rapporteurs took up the issue with the Pakistani and Kenyan authorities in October this year, mentioning the circumstances in which Sharif had to leave Pakistan and deploring lack of serious investigations in both countries.
“The letters from the UN experts are unequivocal,” Arnaud Froger, head of Reporters Without Border’s investigation desk, said. “There has been a clear lack of will on the part of both Kenya and Pakistan to establish the precise circumstances of this journalist’s murder and identify those responsible.”
“At this stage, the preliminary investigation in Kenya has been botched and the investigation by the Pakistani security services has been very one-sided,” he added. “In view of the presumed involvement of the security forces of both countries in this murder, only an independent international investigation would be able to establish the facts. This is what RSF fervently seeks.”
The statement added that its own investigation into the matter highlighted many inconsistencies and biases in the Kenyan and Pakistani investigations, and the lack of cooperation between the two countries in their desultory efforts to identify those responsible.
The media rights organization maintained that international law required the investigation to be prompt, effective and thorough, independent and impartial, and transparent, adding the preliminary probe of Sharif’s murder seemed to satisfy none of these elements.
Sharif’s wife, Javeria Siddique, also filed a lawsuit against Kenyan police in October.
International media rights organization seeks independent probe into Arshad Sharif’s murder in Kenya
https://arab.news/gpbq7
International media rights organization seeks independent probe into Arshad Sharif’s murder in Kenya
- Sharif, a prominent Pakistani journalist, was shot and killed by police outside Nairobi in what was called a case of ‘mistaken identity’
- Reporters Without Borders says the investigation of the case has neither been prompt nor effective, thorough and transparent
IMF Executive Board to review $1.2 billion loan disbursement for Pakistan today
- Pakistan, IMF reached a Staff-Level Agreement in October for second review of $7 billion Extended Fund, climate fund program
- Economists view IMF bailout packages as essential for cash-strapped Pakistan grappling with a prolonged macroeconomic crisis
ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to meet in Washington today to review a $1.2 billion loan disbursement for Pakistan, state media reported on Monday.
Pakistan and the IMF reached a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) in October for the second review of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of its $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
The agreement between the two sides took place after an IMF mission, led by the international lender’s representative Iva Petrova, held discussions with Pakistani authorities during a Sept. 24–Oct. 8 visit to Karachi, Islamabad and Washington D.C.
“The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board is set to meet in Washington today to review and approve $1.2 billion in loan for Pakistan,” state broadcaster Pakistan TV reported.
Pakistan has been grappling with a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained its financial resources and triggered a balance of payments crisis for the past couple of years. Islamabad, however, has reported some financial gains since 2022, which include recording a surplus in its current account and bringing inflation down considerably.
Economists view the IMF’s bailout packages as crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan, which has relied heavily on financing from bilateral partners such as Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates, as well as multilateral lenders including the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank.
Speaking to Arab News last month, Pakistan’s former finance adviser Khaqan Najeeb said the $1.2 billion disbursement will further stabilize Pakistan’s near-term external position and unlock additional official inflows.
“Continued engagement also reinforces macro stability, as reflected in recent improvements in inflation, the current account, and reserve buffers,” Najeeb said.
Pakistan came close to sovereign default in mid-2023, when foreign exchange reserves fell below three weeks of import cover, inflation surged to a record 38% in May, and the country struggled to secure external financing after delays in its IMF program. Fuel shortages, import restrictions, and a rapidly depreciating rupee added to the pressure, while ratings agencies downgraded Pakistan’s debt and warned of heightened default risk.
The crisis eased only after Pakistan reached a last-minute Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in June 2023, unlocking emergency support and preventing an immediate default.
