- Top court disposes of suo motu, pending petitions in case.
- Observes investigations at state level actively underway.
- Arshad’s heirs asked to approach courts in case of grievance.
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday disposed of a suo motu case in connection with the brutal murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, saying there is no need for any judicial interference when the law and investigation are taking their due course.
In its 14-page verdict, a two-member FCC bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, observed: “Since the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement has been signed between the two nations [Pakistan and Kenya] and they are also coordinating at the diplomatic level to implement it, we are of the view that the authorities of both countries are taking appropriate action under their respective laws.”
Arshad was shot dead by Kenyan police in October 2022 in what authorities described as a case of “mistaken identity”. He had left Pakistan in August, two months before his murder, following the registration of multiple treason cases against him across various cities.
The top court noted that the governments of Pakistan and Kenya are taking appropriate steps under a mutual legal assistance agreement recently signed between the two countries.
It noted that Pakistan and Kenya have established legal frameworks to address such matters, and in the same time investigations at the state level are actively underway.
“Two sovereign nations are involved, each handling the matter in accordance with their respective laws.”
“In the instant case, we note that since the MLA agreement has been signed between the two nations and they are also coordinating at the diplomatic level to implement it,” the top court observed.
It further stated that the authorities of both countries are taking appropriate action under their respective laws.
In his concluding remarks, Justice Farooq announced the disposal of the suo motu proceedings along with all pending applications in the journalist’s murder case.
“We acknowledge and share the grief felt by our nation and the journalist community over the death of our citizen,” the court observed in the written decision.
The ruling further noted that the legal heirs of Arshad remain free to seek relief from any court of competent jurisdiction should they have a specific grievance regarding the matter.
