A prominent Pakistani journalist named Arshad Sharif was killed on Sunday night when he was hiding out in Kenya due to sedition accusations. According to reports, the journalist was a vocal opponent of the Pakistani military establishment and a supporter of Imran Khan, the former prime minister who was overthrown in a no-confidence vote in the legislature in April.

His wife Javeria Siddique tweeted, “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist today, as per police he was shot in Kenya.”

The Nairobi Police have now disclosed how Sharif, 50, was killed.

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The police said on Monday that it was a case of “mistaken identity” after looking for a similar car connected to a child kidnapping.

According to the police, the car carrying Sharif accelerated rather than coming to a complete stop at a roadblock outside of Nairobi.

After leaving Pakistan to avoid being arrested for criticising the country’s powerful military, Sharif, 50, had been hiding out in Kenya.

The car Sharif and his brother, Khurram Ahmed, were travelling in allegedly went through a roadblock put up on the Nairobi-Magadi highway to check vehicles along the important route before Sharif was shot in the head and murdered, according to the police. They were moving from the town of Magadi to the national centre of Kenya.

The two allegedly disregarded the officers’ commands to stop and sped up, according to the police account. The police reported that “they did not stop and proceeded with the journey.” His automobile overturned as the police gave chase and opened fire.

According to the news agency AFP, in August, Sharif spoke with prominent opposition figure Shahbaz Gill, who stressed that younger military members shouldn’t obey directives that go against “the will of the majority.”

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The news channel was briefly taken off the air as a result of the remark, and Sharif, who had already left the country, had an arrest order issued. Later, the ARY channel claimed to have “cut ties” with him.

Following the interview, Gill was arrested; as a result of the ousted PM Imran Khan’s criticism of the courts for the arrest, Khan himself had to appear in court.

Most of Sharif’s acquaintances just knew that he had visited Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and London during his time there; they were unaware of his current whereabouts.

Who was Arshad Sharif?

Arshad Sharif was a Pakistani journalist, author, and television news host. He was an expert in investigative reporting and covered numerous political events in the nation for regional, national, and even worldwide news organisations, such as the UK.

He received the Pride of Performance award from Pakistani President Arif Alvi on March 23, 2019, in recognition of his achievements in media.

He died on October 23, 2022. He was fifty years of age. Sharif was shot and killed in Kajiado, Kenya by the local police.

Arshad Sharif was born in Karachi, Pakistan, to Commander Muhammad Sharif TI(M) TK of the Pakistan Navy. While still a student, he started his freelance journalism career in 1993. Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad is where he earned his Master of Science in Public Administration degree.

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Commander Muhammad Sharif, Arshad Sharif’s father, died from a heart attack in May 2011 at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology. On his way to his father’s funeral in May 2011, his younger brother, Major Ashraf Sharif, was killed when his car went off the road.

Major Ashraf Sharif departed Bannu Cantonment after learning of his father’s passing and refused a chauffeur or escort. He was killed when his car ran off the road and struck a tree a few kilometres distant. At the H-11 Graveyard, Commander Muhammad Sharif and Major Ashraf Sharif were buried with full military honours.

His first role in the media was with the monthly magazine Pulse. In 1999, he worked as a managing editor, reporter, and columnist. The News hired Arshad Sharif in 1999, while Daily Dawn hired him in 2001.

On ARY News, Sharif hosted the show Power Play. He worked as the news director for AAJ News. He was the host of the show Kyun and served as the director of news for Dunya News prior to joining Aaj. In 2011, he served as the bureau chief for Dawn News.

Sharif specialised in defence and international policy and covered conflicts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. From London, Paris, Strasbourg, and Kiel, he provided news coverage for prominent Pakistani news agencies. He was the recipient of an Agahi Award in 2012. 

The 2016 Investigative Journalist of the Year Award went to Sharif as the host and Adeel Raja as the producer for the programme Powerplay. Agahi’s Peoples’ Choice Awards: Favorite Current Affairs Anchor – Male also went to Sharif in 2018.