"a case of mistaken identity involving a journalist."
Senior journalist Arshad Sharif died in Kenya after being shot.
His wife Javeria Siddiqui confirmed the news.
Taking to Twitter, Javeria said: “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist Arshad today, as per police he was shot in Kenya.”
According to reports, Kenyan police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Speaking to the media about the development, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Pakistan’s ambassador to Kenya, Syeda Saqlain, Kenyan police officials and doctors are currently at the mortuary in Nairobi where the ambassador has identified Arshad’s body.
The minister also said that after identification, the process to repatriate the deceased has been initiated.
She added that the Kenyan authorities have been requested to complete the regulatory process as soon as possible.
Arshad Sharif had reported for leading Pakistani news organisations from various countries.
The investigative journalist was also awarded the Pride of Performance by President Arif Alvi in March 2019.
He leaves behind a wife and five children.
Kenyan police said that Arshad was shot dead on the Nairobi-Magadi highway on the night of October 23 in a case of mistaken identity.
He was shot by police after he and his brother allegedly breached a roadblock that had been set up to check on vehicles using the route.
They were driving from Magadi town to Nairobi when they were flagged down at a roadblock being manned by a group of police officers, police reportedly said.
A Kenyan senior police officer said:
“We had an incident of shooting which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity involving a journalist. We will release more information later.”
However, questions have been raised over the police claims, with some believing the journalist was assassinated.
Kenyan journalist Brian Obuya posted several tweets on the matter.
Alleging that Arshad was “wanted” in Pakistan, he wrote:
“Arshad Sharif was a wanted man. Wanted by some ‘top officials’ in Pakistan.”
“After running into exile in Dubai, Arshad would later travel to Kenya, sources saying he had been ‘traced there’ only to be ‘mistakenly’ killed in Kenya.”
He went on to say that Arshad’s body was found several kilometres away from where the police say the shooting happened.
In another tweet, Brian said the vehicle Arshad was in was shot at nine times.
He said: “Further details now show that Arshad Sharif’s motor vehicle was shot at nine times. Four of those bullets to the left side of the vehicle. One bullet deflated the right side tyre.”
Further details on the matter are expected to come forward as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority will take over the case.
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