Senior Reporter Arshad Sharif. Photo: Twitter
ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday sought an updated report by December 17 on the investigation into the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif and asked lawyers of all parties to assist the court on the issue of its suo motu jurisdiction.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case.
The court ordered that the next report should include details of the legal progress made so far as well as proposals for future investigations, which will be considered after the court’s winter recess.
Justice Aamer Farooq questioned why there had been little progress three years after the murder and what concrete steps had been taken to bring those responsible to justice.
During the hearing, Sharif’s widow’s lawyer argued that legal precedents allow the Constitutional Court to proceed suo motu. She also requested access to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.
However, Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman said such access could be granted only after submission of the final challan.
He informed the court that Pakistan had finalized a mutual legal assistance agreement with Kenya and had formally requested permission to visit the crime scene. He added that Pakistan needs to think about its diplomatic relations with Kenya, which supports Pakistan in various international forums.
