Arshad Sharif's killing probe: Kenyan police didn’t produce key shooter before Pakistan team

LONDON: Director-General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mohsin Hassan Butt said the evidence gathered by Pakistan so far clearly suggests that journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in a well-organised planned assassination in Kenya and the Kenyan police didn’t produce before two Pakistani investigators one of the shooters involved in firing bullets on the murdered journalist.

Speaking to Geo News, the top FIA official said it looked certain that the senior journalist was the victim of a murder plot and this was based on the evidence Pakistan had gathered so far. “We believe that the Kenya police was involved in the targeted killing of Arshad Sharif,” the senior FIA officer said.

The DG FIA confirmed that the investigation officials from Pakistan wanted to question four firearms shooters of Kenyan police about the incident but the Kenyan police produced only three.

“Our team wanted to interview all four shooters to record their statements but they produced only three and told our team that the fourth shooter is injured and unable to be interviewed. The Kenya police told the Pakistani team that the shooter who cannot be produced for questioning is the one who was injured in the firing done from inside Arshad Sharif’s car,” Mohsin Hassan Butt told this reporter.

He said Pakistani investigators were very keen to meet the fourth shooter to record his statement too but were unable to do so. “We were not given access to the shooter, who had got his hand injured in the incident two weeks back. Not being given access to the shooter is against logic as this officer’s statement is important. The Kenya police claimed he was injured in firing from Arshad Sharif’s car. Our team wanted to see his injuries and evidence,” he said.

He shared with Geo News that senior Pakistani investigators – Omar Shahid Hamid and Ather Waheed – inspected the Toyota Land Cruiser in which Arshad Sharif was travelling but didn’t see any evidence of firing from inside the car towards outside.

FIA’s DG Mohsin Butt said there were serious conflicting statements made by the Kenya police shooters. He said some statements were contradictory to the extent of “being illogical”.

He said that the three shooters repeated the same stance already stated by the Kenyan police to the media that Arshad Sharif was killed in a mistaken identity case and also that bullets were fired from his vehicle but the Pakistani investigators wanted to get evidence of that and were given none.

He said the Kenyan police officers told Pakistani investigators that they opened fire when Arshad Sharif’s car didn’t stop but they didn’t produce any proof of firing from inside the car and inspection of the car showed no signs of firing from inside the car towards outside.

“Kenyan police have been bound under international law to extend assistance in the investigation of the brutal murder of the Pakistani journalist,” Mohsin added.