• May 10, 2023
• General News
• Web Desk

ISLAMABAD    –    The Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday expressed concern over the leak of the fact finding report of the prominent jour­nalist Arshad Sharif murder before it was submitted in the court. The SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Ja­mal Mandokhel, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar conducted hearing of the suo moto notice on brutal murder of Arshad Sharif.

During the hearing, the Chief Justice inquired from Attor­ney General of Pakistan Usman Mansoor Awan that who had provided the fact finding report to the TV channels. He added, “I myself had seen the report on the national TV a day before it was handed over to the court.” The report was made public with the cooperation of some­one at the high level. He said this is not a simple matter, but upsetting.

Justice Bandial noted that the 700-page report was re­leased to the public by some­one who had the custody of it. The AGP said the report shown on the TV was not original, add­ing that the forensic report has proved it was not original. He said that a member of the fact finding team himself told that the report was given to media by the family of Arshad Sharif.

The Chief Justice questioned that whether someone has probed, who had provided re­port to the journalist, which run certain pages of the re­port on the TV channels. The attorney general said after the broadcasting of the report on TV channels, the Kenyan gov­ernment was reluctant to co­operate with the Pakistani au­thorities. He said that Foreign Office officials last week had met with the Kenyan Ambas­sador in Pakistan. He said the members of the Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) will visit Kenya from May 17.

Justice Mazahar said, “We have serious reservations as in the last three months nothing has happened, except the re­ports.” He told the AGP to issue red warrants of two Pakistanis Khurran and Waqar, bring them back and conduct investigation in the case. The Chief Justice said that don’t give us the re­port without attaching the rele­vant documents. Justice Mazhar asked the attorney general to file the copy of red warrants, prosecution report of two Ken­yan police officers, who were present at the crime scene.

Source: The Nation