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Arshad Sharif

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Arshad Sharif
ارشد شریف
Sharif in 2013
Born(1973-02-22)22 February 1973[1]
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Died23 October 2022(2022-10-23) (aged 49)
Kajiado, Kenya
Cause of deathAssassination (gunshot wounds)
Resting placeH-11 graveyard[2]
Education
Occupation(s)News anchor
Analyst
EmployerARY Digital Network
Known forPower Play TV Show ARY News
News Reporter at Dawn News
TV Show Kyun? (Why?) at Dunya News
Notable credit(s)Anchor ARY News
Bureau Chief ARY News (Islamabad)
News anchor Dunya TV
Former Director News, Aaj News
Former Director News, Dunya TV
TelevisionARY News,[4] Dunya News, Dawn News
Children5[5]
ParentMuhammad Sharif Butt (father) Navy Commander
RelativesAshraf Sharif (brother)
Awards Pride of Performance
Agahi Award
Asian Investigative Media Award
War Correspondent Award[6]
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2017–2022
Subscribers443 thousand[7]
Total views12.3 million[7]
100,000 subscribers2022[8]
Last updated: 21 November 2022
Websitewww.reportersdiary.com

Arshad Sharif PP (Urdu: ارشد شریف; 22 February 1973 – 23 October 2022) was a Pakistani journalist, writer, and news anchor.[9] He specialized in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations. On 23 March 2019, he was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi, for his contribution to journalism.[10] He was shot and killed by police in Kenya on 22 October 2022. A 592-page report by the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) revealed the killing to be a “planned targeted assassination," claiming that Kenyan police were "used as instruments."[11] He was an outspoken critic of the Pakistani army.[12]

Sharif was the host of the program Power Play on ARY News. He served on AAJ News as News Director. Prior to joining AAJ, he was director news at Dunya News and hosted the program Kyun.

Early life

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Arshad Sharif was born in Karachi, Pakistan, to a Commander of the Pakistan Navy, Muhammad Sharif TI(M) TK.[13] He began his journalistic career as a freelancer in 1993, while he was still a student. He received his Master of Science in Public Administration from Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad.[14]

Journalistic career

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Sharif's first media job was with a weekly publication, Pulse, for which he was a columnist, reporter, and managing editor in 1999.[15] He joined The News in 1999 and Daily Dawn in 2001.[16]

Sharif covered conflicts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with a specialization in defence and foreign affairs. He reported for leading Pakistani news organizations from London, Paris, Strasbourg, and Kiel. He was the winner of the 2012 Agahi Award.[17] Sharif as anchor and Adeel Raja as producer won the 2016 Investigative Journalist of the Year Award[18] for the programme Powerplay. In 2018, Sharif was awarded Agahi's Peoples’ Choice Awards: Favourite Current Affairs Anchor – Male.[19]

He started his programme Power Play on ARY News in 2014.[4]

Sharif also headed AAJ News and Dunya TV as 'Director News'.[20] He worked as a Bureau Chief for Dawn News in 2011.[21]

In August 2022, Sharif fled Pakistan to avoid arrest after a number of accusations, including sedition charges over an interview with PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, during which the latter had made controversial comments. Alleging threats to his life, Sharif moved to Dubai and later to Kenya.[22]

Assassination

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Main article: Death of Arshad Sharif

Sharif was shot and killed in Kajiado, Kenya, by local police on 23 October 2022.[22] The Kenyan police described the shooting as a case of "mistaken identity",[22][23] and there was speculation on social media that he had been assassinated.[22] On 24 October, the Kenyan Independent Police Oversight Authority announced an investigation into Sharif's death.[24] An investigation committee consisting of Athar Waheed, director of the Federal Investigation Agency's headquarters, and Umar Shahid Hamid, deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau was formed on 26 October 2022.[25] Subsequently, on 8 November 2022, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to set up a judicial committee to investigate into the murder in a fair and reliable manner.[26] Bandial announced on 6 December 2022 that he had taken a suo moto notice of the killing.[27]

In July 2024, the Kajiado County High Court found police acted unlawfully and ordered the government to pay 10 million Kenyan shillings (US $78,000) in compensation.[28][29]

Reaction

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News of Sharif's killing was met with shock in Pakistan and abroad. The President of Pakistan Arif Alvi described Sharif's death as "a great loss to journalism and Pakistan". The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif described the killing as "shocking news". Former Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote on Twitter that he was "shocked at the brutal murder of Arshad Sharif who paid the ultimate price for speaking the truth - his life".[30]

Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), expressed his grief at the news and called for an inquiry into the killing of Sharif.[31] Journalist Kamran Khan questioned the government on Twitter and asked the Prime Minister to take "the nation in confidence".[32]

A significant number of people attended Arshad Sharif's funeral prayers.[33] Close friends and colleagues arrived at Sharif's home to express their condolences, including Imran Khan[34] and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad.[35]

The killing of Arshad Sharif was condemned by the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay in a press-release published on 26 October 2022.[36] UNESCO’s mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image” includes the protection of journalists and media workers against any forms of attacks and reprisals related to their duties.[37][38] The facts and circumstances surrounding this killing are categorized and archived online on UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists. [39] The Observatory archives publicly accessible information on all the journalists killed in relation to their duties since 1997, where the Director-General has issued a condemnation.

Personal life

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Arshad Sharif's father, Commander Muhammad Sharif, died of a heart attack at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in May 2011. His younger brother, Major Ashraf Sharif, was killed when his car veered off the road on his way to attend the funeral of their father in May 2011.[21] On hearing about the death of his father, Major Ashraf Sharif left Bannu Cantonment and refused a chauffeur or escort. A few kilometres away, his vehicle veered off the road and hit a tree, killing him. Commander Muhammad Sharif and Major Ashraf Sharif were laid to rest with full military honours at the H-11 Graveyard.[21] Arshad and Somiya Arshad were married in 2001.[40]

Awards and recognition

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Arshad Sharif, A Famous Pakistan Anchor's Complete Profile". UrduPoint.
  2. ^ Qarar, Shakeel; Momand, Abdullah; Chaudhry, Fahad (27 October 2022). "Slain journalist Arshad Sharif laid to rest at Islamabad's H-11 graveyard". Dawn.com.
  3. ^ "Arshad Sharif". Awaz.tv. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b Videos of TV Show PowerPlay on ARY News website. Retrieved 25 March 2019
  5. ^ "Journalists express shock over Arshad's killing, call for probe". The Express Tribune. 24 October 2022.
  6. ^ Videos of PowerPlay TV Show on ARY News website Archived 6 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine Published 7 December 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2019
  7. ^ a b "About Arshad Sharif Official". YouTube.
  8. ^ "Arshad Sharif Official's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile) - Social Blade Stats".
  9. ^ a b ARY News anchorperson Arshad Sharif awarded Presidential Pride of Performance ARY TV News, Published 23 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019
  10. ^ "ARY News anchorperson Arshad Sharif awarded Presidential Pride of Performance". ARY News. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Killing of Pakistani journalist in Kenya 'planned': Report". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  12. ^ Hussain, Abid. "Outspoken Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif killed in Kenya". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  13. ^ "DawnNews bureau chief grieved". Dawn News. 9 May 2011.
  14. ^ "Popular Pakistan journalist Arshad Sharif shot dead in Kenya by police backed by Pakistan Army". gulfnews.com. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Weekly Pulse". Weekly Pulse magazine. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  16. ^ Siraj, Sarah (24 October 2022). "Journalist Arshad Sharif murder: Who was he?". BOL News. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Winners of Agahi Awards 2012 (for journalism)". Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  18. ^ "AGAHI Awards Celebrates Journalism Integrity" (PDF). AGAHI Awards. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  19. ^ "AGAHI Awards Celebrates Dignity for All". agahi.org.pk. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  20. ^ Profile of Arshad Sharif on agahiawards.com website. Retrieved 25 March 2019
  21. ^ a b c Commander Sharif, son laid to rest The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 11 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2019
  22. ^ a b c d "Senior journalist Arshad Sharif shot dead in Kenya, Confirmed Wife". The Express Tribune. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Pakistani journalist shot dead by police at roadblock in Kajiado". The Star.
  24. ^ "Arshad Sharif killing: Prominent Pakistani journalist shot dead in Kenya". BBC News. 24 October 2022.
  25. ^ Hussain, Abid. "Pakistan forms committee to investigate Arshad Sharif's murder". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  26. ^ "PM writes to CJP for judicial inquiry into Arshad Sharif's murder". The Express Tribune. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  27. ^ "HCJP TAKES SUO MOTO NOTICE OF THE KILLING OF MR. ARSHAD SHARIF" (Press release). Pakistan Supreme Court. 6 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Arshad Sharif: Compensation for widow of Pakistani journalist killed by Kenya police". BBC. 8 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Kenya court rules police unlawfully killed Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif". Committee to Protect Journalists. 8 July 2024.
  30. ^ "President, PM, Imran Khan grieved over death of journalist Arshad Sharif". Dunya News. 24 October 2022.
  31. ^ "Arshad Sharif martyrdom: PFUJ demands inquiry into incident". ARY NEWS. 24 October 2022.
  32. ^ "Journalist Arshad Sharif Reported Dead In Kenya: Social Media Rife With Shock And Accusations". The Friday Times - Naya Daur. 23 October 2022.
  33. ^ "Arshad Sharif laid to rest as hundreds attend funeral prayers". Tribune Pakistan. 27 October 2022.
  34. ^ Farooq, Azhar (24 October 2022). "Imran Khan reaches Arshad Sharif's residence for condolence". ARY NEWS.
  35. ^ "Sheikh Rasheed Meets With Arshad Sharif's Mother &#124". Capital TV (Pakistan) – via YouTube.
  36. ^ O'Hagan, Clare (26 October 2022). "Director-General deplores death of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  37. ^ "Communication and Information service details". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  38. ^ "Safety of journalist". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  39. ^ "Observatory of killed journalists". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  40. ^ Journalist Arshad Sharif’s wife writes to Pakistan president for UN-led probe into his murder ArabNews. Published 19 November 2022.
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