Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday, November 8, confirmed that the shooting of the country's journalist Arshad Sharif was done with intent.
In a press briefing, the Minister ruled out that the shooting was as a result of mistaken identity as earlier reported by Kenyan police.
He explained that the conclusion was arrived at by relevant authorities after analysing part of the evidence presented in the case.
The Minister, however, maintained that more evidence needs to be provided even as probe into the killing rages on.
"Arshad Sharif's death is not a case of mistaken identity - I can say, and, on the evidence we have so far, this prima facie is a target killing.
"We still need to obtain more (evidence) to confirm all this ... and we have asked the Kenyan government for more data," stated Sanaullah as per Reuters.
The journalist was shot dead while in Kenya in a case that was first ruled by the National Police Service (NPS) as a case of mistaken identity.
The statement further indicated that the 50-year-old broadcaster was aboard a motor vehicle registration number KDG 2*** at the time of the incident.
"Before they reached the Kiserian-Magadi road, they found the road blocked using small stones and they decided to pass them.
"It was then they heard gunshots towards their vehicle directed from the front and rear. They did not stop and proceeded with the journey," read the police report at the time.
The fresh findings shed a new light on the killing even though the commission formed by Pakistani Government is yet to give findings into the motive of shooting.
Since the journalist's murder, the Pakistani Government dispatched a task force to help Kenyan authorities unravel the case.
