The killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya in October was most likely a premeditated assassination, fresh reports now claim.
According to media reports, findings by Pakistani detectives sent to Kenya negate an earlier narrative by the National Police Service that the journalist’s killing was a case of mistaken identity.
Kenyan authorities had earlier claimed that Sharif had been shot by officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) at a roadblock along Nairobi-Magadi Road.
However, in a 600-page report by detectives deployed to Kenya, the narrative by Kenyan police has been termed as a ballistic impossibility, further placing Kenya in a tight diplomatic spot over the murder of the foreigner.
“Both the members of the (fact-finding team) have a considered understanding that it is a case of planned targeted assassination with transnational characters rather than a case of mistaken identity,” said the report, according to Reuters.
The report suggested that the bullet patterns as per the investigations did not suggest the car was moving at the time of the shooting. Injuries from the bullets also suggest that Sharif was shot from close range.
It is also suspected that one of the bullets that hit the deceased could have been shot from inside the vehicle.
According to the media reports, it is suspected that the firing was done, “after taking proper aim, at a stationary vehicle.”
At the time of the shooting, Sharif was in the car with his Kenyan host Kuram Ahmed, who was not injured in the shooting.
It has also emerged that a secondary autopsy conducted on the body of the Pakistani journalist showed that there were 12 injury marks on the body an indication that he had been tortured.
He was also missing some fingernails when the body was flown home for interment.
Meanwhile in Kenya, the National Police Service is investigating the matter despite earlier claiming responsibility for the killing of the journalist.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) is also investigating the matter with the aim of unearthing police involvement in the murder.
At the time of his killing Sharif is said to have been on the run from his country as he was afraid for his life.
The vocal television journalist had been at loggerheads with the Pakistani government which had reportedly been looking to charge him with several counts of treason.
Sharif had stayed in Dubai for a while before moving to Kenya where he stayed with brothers Kuram and Waqar Ahmed. BY DAILY NATION