ISLAMABAD: Justice Inam Amin Minhas of the Islamabad High Court has reserved judgment on requests by journalist Hamid Mir and Arshad Sharif’s wife to form a judicial commission to investigate Sharif’s killing.
Justice Minhas observed that the High Court cannot make a ruling on a matter currently pending before the Supreme Court.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Hamid Mir appeared with his lawyer, Barrister Shoaib Razaq. Razaq stated that they want to understand the circumstances under which 16 FIRs were filed against Sharif and why he had left Pakistan. He said Sharif had informed friends of his plans to return home before he was killed.
Razaq urged the formation of a judicial commission to investigate Sharif’s killing, with its findings sent to Kenya. He referenced the judicial commission previously formed by the Supreme Court to investigate the attack on Hamid Mir, noting that Sharif had earlier approached the High Court regarding that report.
Justice Minhas questioned how the High Court could proceed if findings from the FIA, the Supreme Court, or Kenyan authorities differed. Razaq responded that such investigations ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of a judicial commission, not the Supreme Court. He added that the case, now over a year old, has seen minimal progress.
The DIG of Punjab Police informed the court that seven reports had been submitted to the Supreme Court, FIRs registered, and challans filed. Two accused have been declared proclaimed offenders.
Despite challenging conditions in Kenya, the investigation is moving forward, though Razaq stressed the case has remained pending for three years with progress limited to report submissions.
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