Injured Cop Offers New Twist in Murder of Pakistani Journalist

A collage of Arshad Sharif and the vehicle in which he was shot dead.jpg
A collage of Arshad Sharif and the vehicle in which he was shot dead.

The case involving the death of renowned Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif took a new twist following a report filed by the General Service Unit (GSU).

In a statement filed by the Officer Commanding Magadi Field Campus, Julius Some, he revealed that one of the GSU officers was shot by the occupants of the vehicle.

He stated that retaliation by the officers manning a roadblock left Sharif, who was in the company of his brother, dead.

Pakistani's former News anchor Arshad Sharif.
Pakistani's former News anchor Arshad Sharif.
File

"The four officers in a Toyota Landcruiser rushed to erect a roadblock with a view of intercepting the said vehicle. On reaching the barrier, he was challenged to stop but he defied and opened fire at our officers which triggered them to respond

"In the process, CMM Corporal Kevin sustained a gunshot wound on the left-hand wrist exiting on the palm," the report read in part.

Some detailed that the vehicle sped off the scene and the officers decided not to chase after it. Shortly after they were informed of an abandoned vehicle 12 kilometres from the scene.

"An assistant chief from Esonorua called and informed us that a suspicious vehicle had been abandoned. One occupant, a middle-aged male adult was fatally injured," the officer wrote.

The body of the deceased was then ferried to the Chiromo mortuary in Nairobi.

Furthermore, the police officer noted that the injured officer was rushed to the hospital where he was admitted. He is currently in stable condition.

The confession conflicts with information from the initial report which indicated that the driver of the ill-fated vehicle drove into a friend's compound after they had been ambushed.

Sharif's death sparked concerns both locally and internationally. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called President William Ruto asking him to ensure a fair probe is conducted.

Locally, the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) demanded that a ballistics test be conducted on the guns of the officers who were manning the roadblock to identify the killer.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased arrived in Pakistan for his burial. His wife demanded that the Kenyan Police be held answerable for her spouse's death.

An image of the car used by Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
An image of the car used by Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
Facebook
  • . . . . . . .