Pakistani journalist killed in Kenya: Was it an assassination or mistaken identity

NAIROBI, Kenya - Arshad Sharif a senior Pakistani journalist was shot dead Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway in what police termed as a mistaken identity.

According to police sources, the journalist was shot dead after his driver allegedly breached a roadblock that had been set up to check on motor vehicles using the route.

“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,” the officer said.

The news of his demise was first announced on social media by his wife Javeria Siddique, leading to a speculation frenzy as Pakistani citizens tried to make sense of his death.

Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddiqui took to Twitter and confirmed the tragic news, acknowledging that her husband was killed in Kenya.

“I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist [Arshad Sharif] today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” she tweeted.

She also urged the media and the public not to share their family pictures, personal details, and Sharif’s last pictures from the hospital on social media.

According to police, prior to the shooting of the journalist, there was a call for police to intercept a car similar to the one they were driving following a carjacking incident in the Pangani area, Nairobi where a child was taken, hostage.

The police further said that a few minutes later, Sharif’s car emerged at the roadblock and they were stopped and asked to identify themselves.

However, the journalist and his driver failed to stop and drove past the roadblock, prompting a brief chase and shooting that left Sharif dead. Their car rolled and his driver was injured and taken to hospital.

He later told police he and his slain colleague were developers and were headed for a site in Magadi.

The news of the incident spread fast in Pakistan where the journalist was a prominent figure and a voice fighting the current regime.

GAROWE ONLINE