Arshad Sharif’s killing not a result of mistaken identity: Kenyan High Court

A High Court in Kenya has ordered payment of Rs. 2 crore 17 lakh as damages to the family of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, while also declaring his assassination unconstitutional and illegal. It emphasized that his killing was not a case of mistaken identity and held those government institutions named in the petition responsible.

The court also ordered relevant departments to initiate criminal proceedings against the two police officers involved in the shooting, ruling on the petition filed by the journalist’s wife.

The court also found that the victim’s rights were violated by the failure of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to prosecute two police officers for the fatal shooting. It ordered them to conclude the investigation and charge both officers, along with paying ten million local currency in interest until full payment to the petitioner.

In 2022, Pakistani anchor and journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in Kenya on October 23. Subsequently, Kenyan police admitted that Arshad Sharif’s car was mistakenly hit by police bullets.

Officials stated that the involved policemen were initially detained but later reinstated. Following this, Arshad Sharif’s wife Jawaria Siddique filed a petition against the involved police officers in the Kenyan court.