ISLAMABAD: After a gap of nearly a month, Supreme Court will resume on Thursday (Jan 5) the hearing of a case relating to the tragic killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

A five-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, had initiated suo motu proceedings regarding an independent and transparent investigation into the murder of the journalist.

Other members of the bench are Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar.

The court office has already issued notices to the directors general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), the president of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and secretaries of interior, information and foreign affairs.

At the last hearing on Dec 8, 2022, the Supreme Court had hinted at taking up the case again in the first week of January. The court had then constituted a special joint investigation team for ensuring effective foreign liaison in the brutal murder with a directive that in case the SJIT experienced any hardship in pursuing the assigned task, it might directly approach the office of CJP.

The chief justice had observed that the court intended to see honest and transparent investigations into the incident, but said he expected the team to furnish its interim report for the perusal of judges in chambers.

The members of the team consist of Mohammad Aslam, a representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Murtaza Afzal from Military Intelligence, Director of FIA’s Cybercrimes Wing Waqaruddin Syed and IB Director General Sajid Kiyani.

The interior ministry had constituted the SJIT for ensuring effective foreign liaison and collection of evidence in multiple national and international jurisdictions.

The senior superintendent of police/investigation Islamabad and his team, along with an inspector and other relevant officers of the capital police, had been tasked with assisting the SJIT in collection of evidence in an efficient and professional manner, the court was informed.

The office of Capital Police Officer will act as the secretariat for SJIT meetings, which, according to the additional attorney general, will commence soon.

Then AAG Chaudhry Aamir Rehman had told the apex court that necessary funds and support would be provided for international travelling of SJIT members when required, adding that the Foreign Office would be requested to facilitate coordination for visa and assistance in the foreign jurisdiction.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2023