It was shocking, tragic and surreal all at the same time, learning of senior journalist Arshad Sharif’s passing, especially the manner in which it happened; a shot to the head, it is reported. That the murder took place in Nairobi, Kenya makes it all the more mysterious and prone to conspiracy theorizing as it remains unclear what he was doing there. At time of writing, details are murky at best, being reported by Kenyan media; not the most credible of news outlets in East Africa. One report suggests it was a case of mistaken identity, when his car was unable to stop at a police checkpost, set up to recover a kidnapped child, which was subsequently chased down and shot at by Kenyan police resulting in one fateful bullet hitting him in the back of his head. Whatever the circumstances of his death, a thorough and detailed investigation must be made by the relevant authorities so that an accurate idea of what exactly happened can be ascertained and those responsible, brought to book.
Sharif began his career in print journalism and later moved on to television, and earned a name in both disciplines; as a reporter in the former and a prime time slot anchor in the latter. He did not hold back when expressing his views and analyses, at times aggressively defending his arguments, but never in an unnecessarily personal or abusive manner.
He had fled the country to avoid harassment and possible arrest that begun as part of a crackdown on critical and dissenting voices in media against the change in government after Imran Khan’s unceremonious exit from power. Some of Khan’s loyalists were unable to evade this brand of punitive persecution; journalist Imran Riaz Khan and Shehbaz Gill are examples and were made examples of by the powers that be. It is everyone’s inalienable right, even hardened terrorists, to have their day in court, and be treated humanely while in custody awaiting trial. Sharif, understandably, given the severity of events rotating around him at the time, did not have enough confidence in the system to protect his fundamental legal and human rights as ensured by the constitution while facing the cases against him.
A slew of accusations and insinuations have been openly flowing since the news of Sharif’s demise broke, that either the establishment or the government or both have a hand in his murder and that it was an assassination. Not only does this speak to the polarization in the country but the reputations of certain institutions, no matter what their media wings try to portray. Perhaps someone needs to ponder over this reality before getting to back to business as usual. If only.
