How many cases were filed against Arshad Sharif in Pakistan? How was the senior journalist harassed and forced to leave the country? Lawyers argued in the Islamabad High Court.
Islamabad - The Islamabad High Court has reserved its decision on Hamid Mir's request to form a judicial commission to investigate the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif. Justice Amir Farooq heard the case, the Attorney General appeared in the court while the petitioner Hamid Mir along with his lawyer Shoaib Razak appeared in the court.
At the beginning of the hearing, Attorney General Mansoor Awan said that there is an agreement with the Kenyan government. Some access was given by the Kenyan government, after which a fact-finding report was prepared. When that report was made public, the Kenyan government resented it. expressed and terminated the access, after that, the general elections were held in Kenya and after that the report was completed after the draft of the agreement was prepared and approved by the cabinet, it will now be sent to Kenya.
He said that two Pakistanis were investigated in the case of Arshad Sharif Shaheed, and the court remarked that this application is related to the Judicial Commission. What is the process of JIT? What do they do? The Attorney General replied that the report of the JIT is submitted to the Supreme Court in the Chamber. The Supreme Court is looking into the matter. If a judicial commission is formed, can it be investigated in Kenya? The Kenyan authorities are not bound to appear before the commission. The Attorney General said that this will not happen and there will be difficulties even after the agreement with Kenya.
Lawyer Shoaib Razzaq said that our request is to form a judicial commission regarding the murder of Arshad Sharif as well as other journalists. On this, petitioner Hamid Mir told the court that 14 other journalists were targeted for killing in Pakistan. I was not killed by a bomb blast or a bullet. The lawyer said that there was no progress in the JIT formed by the Supreme Court. Arshad Sharif did not have a visa for any country.
On this, Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Amir Farooq remarked that what happened yesterday, Pakistan is currently in a state of war, and young people are still going out of the country, Arshad Sharif was also a citizen of Pakistan, later the lawyer, the petitioner, Azhar Siddique. said that we are saying that a commission should be formed to tell why Arshad Sharif went out of the country? I have been hearing for the past 2 years that there is an agreement being made with the Kenyan government.
The court asked the Attorney General how long the agreement they were talking about would last. The Attorney General replied that regarding mutual legal assistance, we can ask the Foreign Office to request the Kenyan ambassador. Even if a judicial commission is formed, Kenya will not be able to investigate.
Chief Justice Islamabad High Court inquired what progress will be possible after the mutual legal agreement? Attorney General Mansoor Awan replied that the people related to Arshad Sharif's murder are in Kenya, the person who took them from the airport and the person who was present at the time of the incident is also in Kenya. The authorities will not be bound to appear before the commission.
The court inquired whether the agreement with Kenya would be for the provision of evidence? Lawyer Shoaib Razak said that the High Court made a decision yesterday regarding the cases filed against Arshad Sharif across the country. Everyone knows what the circumstances were that Arshad Sharif had to leave the country. He didn't even have a visa.
On this, the court said that we understand your feelings, but this court has to decide according to the law, not by emotions. On this, the lawyer said that our case is, how come so many cases were registered against Arshad Sharif in Pakistan? Our case is that how was Arshad Sharif harassed and forced to leave the country? On this, the Attorney General said that even if the writ is approved, it will not be clear that there is a connection between the issue of Pakistan and Kenya. Decision reserved on the application
