ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has scheduled a hearing on the suo-motu notice regarding the murder of senior journalist and former ARY News anchor, Arshad Sharif. According to reports, a seven-member constitutional bench has been constituted to hear the case, with Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan leading the proceedings.
The constitutional bench, comprising Justices Jamal Mandokhel, Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Hassan Rizvi, Musarat Hilali, Naeem Afghan, and Shahid Bilal, is set to hear the case on December 9.
This follows a decision made in August 2024 by the Supreme Court’s Practice and Procedure Committee, chaired by then-Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, to form a five-member larger bench for the suo-motu case concerning Sharif’s murder. The decision was reached by a 2-1 majority vote. While Chief Justice Isa had suggested retaining the original three-member bench, Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar voted in favor of expanding the bench to five members.
This development comes after a ruling in July 2024 by the Kenyan High Court, which awarded 10 million Kenyan shillings to the family of the late journalist. Sharif was tragically shot and killed by Kenyan police in Nairobi on October 23, 2022, under what was later claimed to be a case of mistaken identity.
Following the incident, the Kenyan police expressed their regret, acknowledging the unfortunate nature of the incident. Meanwhile, Sharif’s widow, Javeria Siddique, has filed a request through her lawyer, Advocate Dudley Ochiel, seeking the release of all related documents, evidence, videos, and photographs from the Kenyan authorities, including the Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Inspector General of Police, and the National Police Service Commission.
The court has noted that the actions leading to Sharif’s death, which the authorities have admitted to as a case of mistaken identity, violated the deceased’s rights. This hearing marks an important step in the ongoing pursuit of justice for Arshad Sharif’s family and highlights the serious legal and diplomatic implications surrounding his tragic death.
