The Supreme Court of Pakistan, presided over by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal Hassan, will resume hearing a suo moto case regarding the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif on July 29.

This follows a directive from the court, which issued notices to several high-profile officials during a hearing on July 25 in Islamabad High Court (IHC) including the Attorney General, the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Interior Secretary, and the Inspector General of Islamabad Police.

During a hearing in the IHC concerning the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the murder of journalist  Sharif, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq questioned why the Kenyan police would kill a Pakistani citizen. He emphasized that the killing must be investigated, stating that if not addressed today, it will eventually be investigated, even if it takes ten years.

The additional attorney general (AAG) highlighted the involvement of foreign countries in the case and mentioned that access to these countries is provided through mutual legal assistance (MLA). The IHC CJ inquired about the government’s stance on forming the judicial commission, to which the AAG responded that this matter had also been presented before the Supreme Court.

The police lawyer noted that the main accused in Sharif’s murder case is in Kenya and that proceedings cannot advance without the accused’s presence. He cautioned that conducting a local probe before completing the MLA process could lead to complications.

The IHC CJ rebuked the counsel for the IG police, accusing him of excessive loyalty, and clarified that the judicial commission’s role is to inquire into the matter and present its findings, not to submit a challan.

The IHC had summoned the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), the head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), and the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The summons were issued by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq during a hearing on July 11 in response to a petition requesting the formation of a judicial commission to investigate Sharif’s killing. The court has also called upon the AGP to assist with the case on the same date.

This development comes on the heels of a Kenyan High Court ruling on July 8, which concluded that Sharif’s killing was not a case of mistaken identity and implicated misconduct by certain police officers.

The Kenyan High Court ordered compensation of Rs21.7 million to be paid to Sharif’s family.

Sharif, a prominent journalist with a successful career in Pakistan, including hosting popular shows on major networks — including ARY News, Dunya News, and Dawn News TV — and receiving the Presidential Pride of Performance Award in 2019, was shot dead by Kenyan police on October 23, 2022. After facing sedition charges in August 2022, he left Pakistan for the United Arab Emirates and subsequently moved to Kenya, where he was killed.

Initially reported as a mistaken identity case by Kenyan police, the incident has since been reclassified following extensive investigations. Sharif’s illustrious career was marked by his fearless journalism, for which he was awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance in 2019.