ISLAMABAD: Four years after prominent Pakistani investigative journalist and television anchor Arshad Sharif was shot dead by Kenyan police, no one has been arrested or prosecuted in connection with his killing, prompting renewed calls for justice from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).
The two journalists’ organisations have condemned the continued impunity surrounding Sharif’s murder and urged authorities in Pakistan and Kenya to ensure an independent and transparent investigation, hold those responsible accountable, and provide justice to his family and colleagues.
Sharif left Pakistan in August 2022 after facing threats reportedly linked to his journalistic work and went into self-imposed exile in Kenya. On October 23, 2022, officers from Kenya’s General Service Unit opened fire on the vehicle in which he was travelling near Tinga Market, south of Nairobi, killing him.
Kenyan police acknowledged firing the fatal shots but initially claimed they had mistaken the vehicle for one associated with a carjacking.
Pakistani investigation pointed to a planned killing
A two-member Pakistani fact-finding team sent to Kenya concluded in December 2022 that Sharif’s killing appeared to be a “planned targeted assassination.”
The report highlighted contradictions in witness statements and police accounts and noted that Kenyan authorities had not provided the Pakistani investigators with full access to relevant officers and evidence.
Following the findings, Pakistan’s Supreme Court directed authorities to register a criminal case, and a Special Joint Investigation Team was established to investigate the killing.
However, despite the passage of four years, the investigation has yet to result in arrests or prosecutions.
Following constitutional reforms in Pakistan, proceedings were transferred to the Federal Constitutional Court, which ended its supervision of the investigation in early 2026. The criminal investigation remained with law-enforcement authorities, but no clear timetable for accountability was announced.
Kenyan courts recognised violation of right to life
Legal proceedings in Kenya, pursued by one of Sharif’s widows, Javeria Siddique, alongside the Kenya Union of Journalists and the Kenya Correspondents Association, resulted in a court ruling that the fatal shooting violated his constitutional right to life.
The court awarded Sharif’s family KES 10 million, approximately USD 77,000, in compensation. However, it declined to classify the killing as torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
On July 3, 2026, Kenya’s Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal seeking to compel the prosecution of the officers involved, release investigation records and increase the compensation awarded to the family. The court held that decisions on criminal charges fall within the authority of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The ruling left the question of criminal accountability unresolved.
PFUJ demands accountability
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists criticised the continued failure to prosecute those responsible for Sharif’s death and called on Pakistan’s government and judiciary to ensure justice.
“There is complete impunity in the murder of Arshad Sharif, despite authorities in Pakistan and Kenya recognising his killing as murder,” the PFUJ said.
The organisation reiterated its call on the Government of Pakistan and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to deliver justice to Sharif’s family, ensure that those responsible are prosecuted and punished, and bring an end to impunity in the case.
IFJ warns of dangerous message to journalists
The International Federation of Journalists said the failure to hold those responsible accountable four years after the killing represented a grave denial of justice and sent a dangerous message to journalists worldwide.
The IFJ expressed solidarity with Sharif’s family and Pakistan’s journalist community, demanding an independent and transparent investigation in both Kenya and Pakistan, the publication of all relevant findings, and the prosecution of the officers responsible for his death.
The federation stressed that impunity must not be allowed to prevail.
Justice remains elusive
Arshad Sharif’s killing became a major case concerning the safety of journalists, accountability for unlawful killings and the protection of media professionals facing threats because of their work.
While judicial proceedings in Kenya established a violation of Sharif’s right to life and awarded compensation to his family, the absence of criminal prosecutions continues to raise serious questions about accountability.
Four years after his death, the demands of the IFJ and PFUJ remain focused on the same fundamental issues: establishing the full circumstances of the killing, making investigative findings public and ensuring that those responsible face justice.
For Sharif’s family and colleagues, compensation alone cannot replace criminal accountability. Until those responsible are prosecuted, the case will remain a stark reminder of the dangers journalists face and the consequences of impunity for attacks on the press.