Media watchdog wants 'every lead probed' to trace Pak journalist Arshad Sharif's killers

On October 23, a shot fired at close range hit Arshad Sharif in the head while he was in a car near Nairobi, and another went through his chest. In a statement, RSF said the autopsy report released on November 4 contradicted the account of his death provided by the Kenyan authorities and raised many questions about the real course of events.

Although Pakistan has appointed a new team of investigators, the media watchdog said much is still unclear about ARY News TV anchor Arshad Sharif's execution-style murder in Kenya. After retracing his movements in his final months, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged them to pursue all leads.

"Three months after Arshad Sharif's brutal murder, the mystery surrounding the circumstances of his death is more impenetrable than ever. After managing to retrace his movements during the three months preceding this tragedy, we ask the investigators to leave no leads unexplored regarding the motives for the murder and to coordinate better with the Emirati and Kenyan authorities manifestly involved," said Daniel Bastard, Head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk.

"The reliability of the results of the investigation and, therefore, the credibility of Pakistan's civilian institutions are at stake," he added.

In a statement, RSF said that it has been able to retrace Sharif's movements during the three months prior to his murder on the basis of official documents and the accounts of those close to him.

The inquiry commission created by the Pakistani government immediately after Sharif's murder was slammed by media and rights groups for its lack of independence, especially with regard to the military.

However, it concluded that Sharif was the victim of a planned and targeted assassination and it criticised the Kenyan police for initially reporting that he was killed when police opened fire on his car by mistake. (ANI)