Islamabad (HRNW) There is the possibility that ‘transnational characters’ are involved in the murder of senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif in Kenya apart from a host of questions raised on several aspects of his final weeks.
This was disclosed in the report of the two-member fact team (FFT) which surfaced on Wednesday. The committee comprised Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Dr Athar Wahood and Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director General Omer Shahid Hamid.
The team in its 592-page report learnt that Arshad Sharif, who had been compelled into leaving UAE and seek refuge in Kenya, wanted to return to the UAE but found his way back blocked. He ultimately lost his life in Kenya.
The report said per testimonies provided by his former colleagues and employer, Arshad Sharif had been forced out of UAE after he reportedly met with UAE security officials in his hotel lobby in mid August.
Arshad Sharif had left the UAE even though he had a valid visa for the country.
The FFT report further said that his departure from UAE came after consulting with the Dubai based team of his employer.
Arshad Sharif received a tourist visa for Kenya on August 19 and arrived in the East African country the next day. He had then successfully applied to extend his visa for two months in Kenya on September 19, 2022.
He had also applied for UAE’s visa, but his request was rejected a day before his murder on October 21, 2022.
A screenshot image, which FFT got its hands on, shows that he had applied for a new visa for the UAE on October 12, 2022.
But the application was rejected, the FFT report showed.