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
KSrelief concludes second phase of livestock-based economic empowerment project in Pakistan
- The charity provided 1,000 vulnerable households in northwest Pakistan with poultry livelihood packages under second phase
- The package for each family included 25 poultry birds, 50 kilograms of feed, feeders, drinker, egg tray and protective mesh
ISLAMABAD: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has successfully concluded the second phase of its project to economically empower vulnerable households in Pakistan through livestock provision, the Saudi charity said on Tuesday.
Under the second phase of the project, 1,000 vulnerable households in Pakistan’s Swat, Swabi, Haripur and Mansehra districts were supported through the provision of comprehensive poultry livelihood packages.
Each beneficiary family received 25 poultry birds along with a complete poultry kit, comprising 50 kilograms of feed, two sets of feeders, one drinker, an egg tray, and protective mesh, according to KSrelief.
“In addition, a total of 40 structured training sessions on poultry management and income generation were conducted with technical support from the Livestock Department, equipping beneficiaries with essential skills to sustainably manage small-scale poultry enterprises,” the Saudi charity said.
“The project was implemented by the Peace and Development Organization (PADO) in close coordination with the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department (RRSD), PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the local district administrations.”
Over the years, KSrelief has launched numerous projects across Pakistan in food security, health, education and disaster response, deepening the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries.
The ‘Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable Households in Pakistan through Livestock Provision Project’ aims to enhance economic resilience, improve household nutrition and strengthen food security among vulnerable communities across the four targeted districts in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to KSrelief.
“With the successful completion of this phase, the project has contributed to promoting self-reliance, dignified income generation, and long-term livelihood sustainability,” the charity said, promising to support vulnerable populations and foster inclusive economic development across Pakistan.
