Arshad Sharif death: what did wife say after Pakistan journalist killed in Kenya, what happened, was he shot?

Sharif was known throughout Pakistan as an anchor for bilingual news channel ARY News, which broadcasts in English and Urdu
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Prominent Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif has been killed in an attack in the East African country of Kenya.

Known throughout Pakistan as a former anchor of bilingual TV news channel ARY News, which broadcasts in English and Urdu, Sharif was also a major critic of Pakistan’s de facto military rulers. He was travelling from the Kenyan capital Nairobi to the southern town of Magadi on Sunday (23 October) when the incident happened.

Graphic: NationalWorld/Mark HallGraphic: NationalWorld/Mark Hall
Graphic: NationalWorld/Mark Hall
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It comes as the country remains on high alert after ethnic tensions were whipped up by a contentious Presidential election result, which saw William Ruto declared the winner after a protracted court battle. Pakistan is itself facing major political upheaval after the ousting of its former PM Imran Khan, with some suggesting there was an element of foul play in the death of Sharif. So, who exactly was he - and how did the journalist die?

Who was Arshad Sharif?

Arshad Sharif was a high-profile journalist from Pakistan. He was best known as an anchor on ARY News, where he presented current affairs programme ‘Power Play’ between 2014 and September 2022. Boasting more than two million followers on Twitter, Sharif had recently gone freelance and was reporting to his major following via YouTube at the time of his death.

Arshad Sharif was ‘in hiding’ in Kenya at the time of his killing (image: YouTube)Arshad Sharif was ‘in hiding’ in Kenya at the time of his killing (image: YouTube)
Arshad Sharif was ‘in hiding’ in Kenya at the time of his killing (image: YouTube)

He was known to be a fierce critic of Pakistan’s military, which exerts significant control over the country’s government. In recent weeks, he had covered the political crisis in Pakistan following Imran Khan’s ousting as the country’s Prime Minister in April.

Khan was barred from holding public office by the Pakistani electoral commission over alleged corruption while he was in office - charges Khan denies. There have been bloody protests between Khan’s supporters and the authorities in recent weeks.

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According to the former Pakistani PM, Sharif was in hiding in Kenya when he died. The country has long had close ties to Pakistan, and a large population of Indian and Pakistani migrants live there.

Pakistan has seen a wave of protests since former Prime Minister Imran Kahn was ousted in April (image: AFP/Getty Images)Pakistan has seen a wave of protests since former Prime Minister Imran Kahn was ousted in April (image: AFP/Getty Images)
Pakistan has seen a wave of protests since former Prime Minister Imran Kahn was ousted in April (image: AFP/Getty Images)

On Twitter, his wife Javeria Siddique wrote: “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya. Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don’t share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital. Remember us in ur prayers.”

Imran Khan also paid his respects, saying he was “shocked at the brutal murder” of the reporter. He called for a “proper judicial investigation” of the journalist’s death.

How did Arshad Sharif die?

Arshad Sharif was killed while travelling between Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the town of Magadi. The latter is close to the country’s southern border with Tanzania and is several miles from Mount Kilimanjaro.

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Reports from his former employer ARY said that Sharif was shot in the head after his driver failed to stop for a roadblock. It reported that the Kenyan authorities had said the killing was a case of “mistaken identity” as the roadblock had been told to intercept a car similar to Sharif’s after a carjacking and kidnapping incident in Nairobi.

However, the journalist’s followers have suggested his death could have been a deep state conspiracy to silence him. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is one of the world’s most advanced intelligence services and is known to be a crucial power player in Pakistan. It has been accused of political assassinations and supporting extremist groups, including the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Reporters Without Borders - a global NGO promoting press freedom - said on Twitter that the murder of Arshad Sharif was “utterly disturbing” and came just months after he was charged with "spreading hate against the military".

Should claims by Sharif’s supproters prove correct, it would be raise significant questions about the health of democracy in Pakistan. The official comment from the Asian country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “deeply saddened” to hear of Arshad Sharif’s death and was arranging for the repatriation of his body.

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