ISLAMABAD: Mother of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, in a written letter to the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court (SC), has pointed out that she was unaware of any ongoing investigation on the murder of her son.

Riffat Ara Alvi, in the letter written to the cell’s director general, states: “I am a housewife and am not aware of the details of any investigation. It is the duty of the state to prosecute and provide witnesses.”

She earlier wrote a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial with a request to set up a judicial commission comprising senior judges to determine the real motive behind the murder and identify criminals behind the heinous crime.

“Only knowing the real motive and criminals, and bringing them to justice would end the agony of Shaheed Arshad Sharif’s family and the journalist fraternity,” the letter added.

On Oct 31, the government had appointed a retired judge, Abdul Shakoor Paracha, as chairman of a three-member inquiry commission to probe into the mysterious murder of Sharif in Kenya on Oct 23.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday disposed of Ms Alvi’s petition seeking the post-mortem report of her son as the said report was provided to her.

The deputy attorney general had informed the court that the post-mortem report had been provided to Sharif’s mother.

The petitioner’s counsel Barrister Shoaib Razzaq told the court that the report was provided on Sunday.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq inquired whether the murder is being probed in Pakistan.

Barrister Razzaq said that though the crime scene was in Kenya but a first information report (FIR) can be registered in Pakistan, adding that the suspects of MQM leader Imran Farooq’s murder were being tried in Pakistan instead of United Kingdom.

He further said that the application seeking formation of a judicial commission to probe the said murder was also pending before the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2022