ISLAMABAD: One of the widows of slain journalist Arshad Sharif on Wednesday pleaded before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) not to close the suo motu proceedings earlier initiated to seek an independent and transparent probe into her husband’s murder.

In a three-page statement, Somiya Arshad requested the FCC to order the formation of a comprehensive, independent judicial commission with international observers to probe all aspects of the case, including pre-murder threats, coordinated FIRs, nominated accused, institutional links and any transnational involvement.

On Jan 14, the FCC had dropped hints about closing the suo motu proceedings, observing that the court’s facilitation had already borne fruit with the signing of a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement between the governments of Pakistan and Kenya in September last year.

Arshad Sharif was shot in the head when Kenyan police opened fire on his car on the outskirts of Nairobi on Oct 23, 2022. He had left Pakistan in August 2022 after multiple sedition cases were registered against him in different cities.

In the fresh application, Somiya Arshad also requested the FCC to order the immediate sharing of the report of the Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT), constituted by the government, along with all related investigation documents, with the family.

The statement further urged the FCC to issue directions for the summoning and questioning of nine individuals nominated by the late mother of the slain journalist, as well as relevant officials identified in the fact-finding report prepared by a two-member team.

It also asked the FCC to ensure the sealing and confiscation of properties linked to the prime accused and to expedite action under the MLA agreement.

The statement read that the indications given by the FCC on Jan 14 suggested that the proceedings might be nearing closure. However, it added that any premature closure would deny justice and undermine public confidence in the rule of law, especially given the slow progress of the investigation, lack of family access to key reports and unaddressed nominations of accused persons.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2026