ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to conduct a thorough investigation into journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder and for this purpose former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the CEO of ARY News Salman Iqbal will be approached to record their statements.
While talking to media persons on Friday morning, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said some important facts and information have been shared with the Inquiry Commission probing the murder of Arshad Sharif. However, as the investigation is underway their details could not be made public.
Later in the evening at a news conference along with senior officers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Rana Sanaullah reiterated that a formal murder case would be lodged after the return of the FIA team currently in Kenya to probe the murder of Arshad Sharif.
In the light of their findings and the statements of all the parties concerned, the government would move to expose the conspiracy behind the murder, he said.
He also raised the question who Khurrum — the man who was driving the vehicle when Arshad was shot in the head — was and what relation he had with Arshad Sharif.
Hoax threat alert
Rana Sanaullah said: “A narrative was built that Arshad Sharif was being intimidated and threatened” and added that a “hoax” threat alert for the journalist was issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, which would be investigated.
The alert stated that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had plotted the journalist’s murder and Arshad Sharif was sent abroad first to Dubai and later to Kenya.
He said cases against Arshad Sharif’s killing would be filed after the inquiry committee submitted its report. He alleged that all the existing leads pointed to two individuals — Imran Khan and Salman Iqbal, adding that verified details about the ownership of the farmhouse, where the journalist was suspected to be staying in Nairobi, would be received shortly.
The move was initiated from the KP Chief Minister House and the senior officers of the law and home department accompanied Arshad Sharif to the Peshawar Airport, he revealed.
A day earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif while talking to an anchor person urged Imran Khan and Salman Iqbal to volunteer and record their statements as they are the ones who reportedly convinced Arshad to leave the country and told him that his life was in danger.
Khawaja Asif further said if they liked and respected Arshad as they have been saying so recently, they should come forward and help the agencies probing the murder reach some conclusion.
