Pakistan

Investigators seek CCTV footage of Arshad Sharif’s Nairobi flat, last moments

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Pakistani investigation team seeks response for seven questions.
Copies of letter also with Pakistani diplomats, Kenyan departments.
Arshad Sharif had arrived in Nairobi on Aug 20 and died on Oct 23.

NAIROBI: Investigators looking into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif have asked brothers Waqar Ahmed and Khurram Ahmed to provide CCTV footage of the Nairobi apartment and the shooting range where the anchor was before his killing.

A paper seen by Geo News shows that Pakistan’s investigation team — comprising Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Athar Wahid and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Deputy Director General Omar Shahid Hamid — has called on both brothers to further help in the investigation after interviewing them about the killing.

Copies of the letter are also with Pakistani diplomats and several Kenyan departments.

The investigators from Pakistan and Kenya have met both brothers and asked the following information:

CCTV footage of the penthouse apartment where Arshad Sharif lived as your guest for two months and 3 days.
List of names and contact details of instructors and treaters who were present at your training site, Ammodump, at the time of the killing of Arshad Sharif.
Details of which organisations the trainers and instructors belong to.
List of names and contact details of all staff employed by you at your training site.
List of the individuals who met with Mr Arshad Sharif during his stay at your premises.
Name and contact details of the individuals who asked you to sponsor Mr Sharif’s invitation letter.
Clarification about the whereabouts of Mr Sharif’s iPad and cell phones which were last known to be in your possession.

After arriving in the Kenyan Capital on Wednesday, Geo News investigation revealed that the slain journalist’s visit visa to Kenya was sponsored and did not get a visa on arrival.

The sponsor letter to Sharif was sent by Nairobi-based property developer Waqar Ahmed, brother of Khurram Ahmed who was driving Arshad Sharif on the fateful night of October 23, 2022.

“I met Arshad Sharif only once and that too at a dinner,” Waqar Ahmed had told the investigation team, adding that he had invited the senior journalist for a meal at his lodge outside Nairobi.

“On the day of the incident, Arshad had a meal with us at our lodge. After the meal, Arshad Sharif left with my brother Khurram in the car and half an hour later there was a report of firing on the vehicle,” he told the team.

The two brothers told the Pakistani officers that the journalist was planning to move to Nairobi and for that he extended his visa too. This was also confirmed by a Geo News source.

Sharif had arrived in the Kenyan capital on August 20 and died on October 23 in a shootout in which Khurram survived miraculously.

The shooting of Sharif by police in Kenya has caused outrage in Pakistan, leaving many wondering how such a thing could have happened.

Lawyer for Waqar and Khurram told Geo News in a statement that his clients were innocent.

“The Kenya police issued a statement and regretted the shooting as a case of mistaken identity. That’s all we know for now. The investigations are still ongoing and our clients are fully cooperating with the investigation,” said Daniel Kiragu.

Latest News

The IHC upholds Bushra Bibi’s request to be transferred from Bani Gala to Adiala Jail.

Published

15 hours ago

Farwa

Bushra Bibi’s request to be transferred from Bani Gala to Adiala Jail was granted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday.

The former first lady Bushra Bibi’s application to be transferred from Bani Gala sub-jail to Adiala was heard today.

Details reveal that the Islamabad High Court heard a motion to restore the denied petition about the relocation of Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder, from sub-jail Bani Gala to Adiala.

The application for the reinstatement of appeal was heard by Justice Miagul Hassan Aurangzeb. When state attorney Abdul Rehman entered the courtroom on behalf of the state, Usman Riaz Gill represented the former first lady.

State counsel did not object to the appeal being restored during court proceedings. At the following hearing, the court asked for assistance in determining what conditions must be met for a location to be designated as a sub-jail.

The court also mandated that Bushra Bibi’s medical examination be scheduled. The court subsequently delayed the hearing and gave instructions to fix the appeal for April 22.

Recall that the attorneys for former first lady Bushra Bibi, Barrister Salman Safdar, Usman Riaz Gill, and Khalid Yusuf Chaudhary, had filed an application to restore the dismissed appeal a day ago, but the Islamabad High Court had denied their request to pursue the case.

The petition contended that the traffic gridlock at the Sarina Chowk checkpoint was the reason for the delay in getting to the court.

The attorneys did not purposefully take their time getting to court. They warned that the petitioner would suffer irreversible loss if the petition was not resurrected.

IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has voiced his displeasure at the absence of attorneys from the court.

According to Judge Aurangzeb, the former first lady would have been imprisoned if Bushra Bibi’s attorneys had prevailed in this case. The attorneys themselves were opposed to Bushra Bibi’s incarceration.

Latest News

oath-taking ceremony for the Balochistan cabinet postponed

Published

15 hours ago

Farwa

The Balochistan cabinet’s oath-taking ceremony, which was supposed to take place at the Governor’s House today (Thursday), has been rescheduled.
The Governor’s House spokeswoman announced that the Balochistan cabinet’s swearing-in event has been postponed. Nevertheless, there was no explanation provided for the ceremony’s postponement.

It is important to note that the 14-member Balochistan cabinet, which consists of two members from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and six ministers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was set to take the oath of office today, Thursday.

Latest News

PMD forecasts rain throughout the majority of the nation.

Published

15 hours ago

Farwa

During the next 24 hours (Thursday–Friday), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted rain, windstorms, thunderstorms, and a few torrential downpours or hailstorms throughout the majority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Islamabad, Punjab, and Balochistan.

In several areas of Sindh, a rain-windstorm/thunderstorm is anticipated. Much of Balochistan is being hit by a powerful westerly wave trough, which is expected to spread to the top regions by April 18.

Prolonged downpours have the potential to cause flash flooding in Balochistani local streams and drains, particularly in Gwadar, Jiwani, Pasni, Ormara, Kech, Awaran, Kharan, Panjgur, Washuk, Noshki, Lasbela, Khuzdar, and Kalat.

On April 18–20, heavy rains could cause flash floods in tributaries of the Kabul River as well as in Dir, Swat, Chitral, Kohistan, Manshera, Gilgit–Baltistan, Kashmir, and other areas.

Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are among the regions where landslides may occur.

At this time, standing crops, power poles, cars, solar panels, and other objects may sustain damage from wind, hail, and lightning, according to meteorologists.

Upper Sindh and Balochistan saw rain, wind, and thunderstorms in the past 24 hours. During the era, there were also significant rainfalls in South Balochistan. Wednesday’s highs of 42 degrees Celsius in Mithi kept it as the country’s hottest spot.

Officials reported that lightning-related storm-related occurrences claimed the lives of at least 65 people in Pakistan, where the rate of precipitation in April has so far been roughly twice that of previous years. Floods and house collapses were caused by heavy downpours that occurred between Friday and Monday. Lightning claimed 28 lives.

32 people, including 15 children, have killed and over 1,300 homes have been damaged in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has suffered the greatest victim count.

The meteorological experts report that there is little probability of rain, despite the fact that drizzle fell in numerous areas of Karachi.