Thousands attended the funeral of journalist Arshad Sharif
NEW DELHI: Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday.
The 49-year-old popular television host was shot dead by police in Kenya and classified as a case of “mistaken identity.”
Funeral prayers were held in the afternoon at the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad with tight security.
The crowd chanted the slogan “his blood will carry the wave of revolution.”
His body arrived in Islamabad early Wednesday.
Arshad is a strong critic of the controversial removal of former prime minister Imran Khan.
He later fled Pakistan to Dubai in August after the police filed a case against him, including a case of sedition.
Imran claimed that the journalist was targeted for murder and left Pakistan because he felt his safety was threatened.
A number of journalists who tend to support Imran have also faced charges in recent months and some of them have been attacked by unknown individuals.
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum denied there was any threat to Arshad’s life in Pakistan.
He said this in a press conference on Thursday and it was a rare interaction that saw him also answer various questions together with Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar, who heads the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media unit.
The journalist has been with the ARY television channel for many years.
The ISI chief said based on initial meetings with Kenyan authorities, the killings were due to “mistaken identity.”
“Pakistan is not “satisfied” with the explanation given. Therefore, the government has formed a team that will go to Kenya to conduct an investigation.
“The government has also established a judicial commission (to conduct investigations),” he said.
Arshad was previously in the United Arab Emirates and left for Kenya when his visa expired, according to Pakistani officials.
The car the journalist was traveling in had several gunshot wounds while Arshad was shot in the head.
However, the driver reportedly did not suffer any injuries in the incident.
source – BERNAMA
