ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday disposed of a suo motu case related to the killing of prominent journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, ruling that there is no need for judicial oversight when the law and investigation are taking their “due course.”
Sharif, an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s government and its powerful military, was killed when police shot at his car on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Oct. 23, 2022. Kenyan police later said the killing was a case of mistaken identity.
A five-member Supreme Court bench had initially taken up the suo motu case for an independent and transparent probe of Sharif’s murder in Dec. 2022, which was transferred to the FCC that was formed under the 27th constitutional amendment last year and granted jurisdiction over both constitutional and suo motu cases.
In a 14-page judgment on Tuesday, the constitutional court stressed that a mutual legal assistance (MLA) agreement had been reached between Pakistan and Kenya and that the matter was being handled through diplomatic channels.
“Since the MLA agreement has been signed between the two nations and they are also coordinating at the diplomatic level to implement it, we are of the view that the authorities of both countries are taking appropriate action under their respective laws,” the verdict read.
