A Pakistani journalist, Arshad Sharif, was shot dead by police in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday (October 23) night, triggering concern and outrage in Pakistan. The Kenyan newspaper The Star quoted a senior police officer as saying the shooting was being treated as a case of mistaken identity, Reuters reported.
Sharif was a well-known journalist in Pakistan, and had previously hosted a TV show. He was also a vocal supporter of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He had left Pakistan recently claiming there were threats to his life in the country.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a tweet on October 24 that he had contacted Kenya’s Prime Minister William Ruto regarding the incident and its investigation.
Imran Khan spoke about Sharif in glowing terms, calling the incident a “target killing” in a recent speech.
He said on Twitter that Sharif “paid the ultimate price for speaking the truth — his life”. Imran alleged that Sharif’s “murder” had “highlighted an ongoing targeting of anyone who dares to criticise or question those holding power”.
