The body of well-known Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed on Sunday by Kenyan police, is headed home, according to Pakistani media outlet Dunya News where he worked before leaving the country in August.
His body is expected to arrive in Islamabad later on Tuesday afternoon after a stopover in Doha, Qatar.
The journalist will be cremated on Thursday at a cemetery in Islamabad, his widow Javeria Siddique is quoted as saying.
Mr. Sharif was “fatally wounded” while he was a passenger in a moving vehicle after it failed to stop at a roadblock, according to the Kenya police.
Officers had set up the roadblock as they were looking for a stolen car.
Police in Kenya confirmed the shooting of renowned Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif on Sunday night in Kajiado county, which neighbours the capital Nairobi.
Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso says they are investigating the circumstances behind Mr. Sharif’s death.
Local media say he was shot at a roadblock on the Nairobi-Magadi highway in a case of mistaken identity.
Mr. Sharif’s wife Javeria Siddique tweeted on Monday that she had ” lost [a] friend, husband, and my favorite journalist”.
Mr. Sharif’s reporting on alleged corruption and his criticism of Pakistani officials frequently led him to run-ins with the authorities.
At the time of his death, Mr. Sharif was said to be working on an investigative report that featured journalists from various parts of the world looking into claims of state-sponsored criminal cartels that implicated senior Pakistani officials.
Pakistani police had also filed sedition cases against Mr. Sharif over a contentious interview with an opposition activist.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi said, “Arshad Sharif’s death Is a great loss to journalism and Pakistan. May his soul rest in peace, and may his family, which includes his followers, have the strength to bear this loss”.
Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) says it has launched investigations into the killing of prominent Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.
Local media outlets reported that Mr. Sharif’s killing by police was a case of mistaken identity.
The Ipoa, a civilian body, was formed to monitor the work of the police.
Its head, Ann Makori, has told journalists in the capital, Nairobi, that a rapid response team has been sent to investigate the killing of the journalist.
