-SC orders new JIT to provide progress report every 2 weeks
-Foreign Affairs Ministry submits response to Supreme Court
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the special joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya to submit a progress report every two weeks.
The court issued the directives as a five-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Jamal Mandokhel, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, resumed hearing the case. At the previous hearing, the top court had directed the government to constitute a special joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the journalist’s killing and to notify the members by Thursday (yesterday).
During Thursday’s hearing, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman presented to the court a notification for the formation the formation of the special JIT.
According to the notification the JIT comprises Islamabad police DIG Awais Ahmed, Muhammad Aslam (Inter-Services Intelligence), Murtaza Afzal (Military Intelligence), Federal Investigation Agency Cybercrime Director Waqar¬uddin Syed and Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director General Sajid Kiani.
The notification directed the Islamabad police to assist the JIT in collecting evidence. The foreign ministry was also directed to “facilitate coordination for provision of visas and assistance in foreign jurisdictions” for the JIT.
Rehman told the court the JIT consisted of five members, adding that if necessary, authorities would contact Interpol to arrest the suspects in the case.
CJP Bandial remarked that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had submitted its reply to the court prior to the hearing, had “shown the way” to the JIT. The ministry has given “good suggestions in its report,” he observed.
Justice Mazhar then wondered how long it would take the JIT to conclude its investigation. The AAG replied that the investigation would be dependent on the Kenyan officials, adding that the team would make all possible efforts to complete the probe at the earliest.
The court then directed the JIT to submit a progress report to the court every two weeks. In addition, the Islamabad SSP and his team were directed to cooperate with the investigating team.
The court noted that the foreign ministry had put forth suggestions in the report it had submitted, adding that it had also assured that it would assist the JIT in its probe. The court directed the JIT to submit the progress report in the judges’ chambers.
“We are giving the JIT two weeks’ time,” CJP Bandial said, directing the team to file a plea if it faced any obstacles. The hearing was subsequently adjourned for the first week of January.
Prior to yesterday’s hearing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) submitted a reply to the court in line with the directives issued in the previous hearing.
The ministry as well as the Pakistan missions in Nairobi and Dubai were corresponding “frequently” with authorities for facilitating and furthering the process of investigation and gathering evidence in the case, the reply said.
The reply said MoFA had established contact with the relevant Kenyan authorities and “reached out [to them] at the highest political level”, pointing out that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directly spoken to the Kenyan president and specifically requested assistance in this regard.
MoFA as well as the Pakistan mission in Nairobi “continues to pursue the investigative efforts with the host authorities. It is further submitted that the current bilateral approach is most likely to yield results,” the reply said.
It went on to say that the Kenyan High Commissioner in Islamabad had informed Pakistani authorities that Kenya was in the process of gathering evidence and that the investigation was ongoing.
In the reply, the ministry also said it was concurrently evaluating avenues that could be explored with international organisations to advance the process of investigation.
At the same time, the ministry said it was committed to maintaining “friendly and cordial” relations with Kenya and the UAE and was, therefore, considering the following options: Sending a special envoy to Kenya to raise the matter with local authorities, arranging a phone call between the Kenyan and Pakistani foreign ministers, directing the Pakistani High Commissioner in Nairobi to maintain efforts with senior Kenyan officials to expedite the matter, regularly engaging the Kenyan High Commissioner in Islamabad.
The ministry further said that it was of the view that Pakistani authorities may also explore legal avenues for gathering evidence and completing the investigation process in Kenya and the UAE.
“It is further submitted that due to the efforts of the MoFA and Pakistan Mission in Dubai, UAE, the latter sent a request for legal assistance from the concerned authorities in Pakistan. In this regard, the said request has already been dispatched to the Ministry of Interior to prepare and send a request for legal assistance,” the reply said.
The ministry said it was committed to assisting the court and facilitating the special JIT constituted by the government in the case.
