Widow of Pakistani Journalist Killed by Police Granted $78,000 in Compensation by Kenyan Court.
The widow of the late Arshad Sharif, a prominent Pakistani journalist who was fatally shot by police officers at a roadblock almost two years ago, has been awarded ten million shillings ($78,000; £61,000) by a Kenyan high court. Sharif was a prominent TV host who publicly criticized the corruption in Pakistan’s military and government.
In the face of death threats, Sharif notified Pakistan’s highest court before departing the nation for safety. Police in Kajiado, Kenya, shot and killed Sharif two months after he had fled to safety, prompting international condemnation and censure from UN experts who pointed fingers at Kenya and Pakistan for their slow reactions.
Mishaps and Court Cases
According to the Kenyan authorities, Sharif’s death was caused by a case of mistaken identity. Nevertheless, Javeria Siddique, his widow, contended that it was a targeted murder plotted by an unidentified Pakistani. Authorities in Kenya violated Sharif’s right to life, according to a Monday ruling by the Kajiado High Court. Consequently, Ms. Siddique will get compensation from the court, and that amount will accrue interest until it is fully paid.
No amount of money could ever make up for the pain and grief that the family had to endure, Justice Stella Mutuku stressed. Nonetheless, she did not deny that monetary compensation was an appropriate response to human rights abuses. In addition to the police officers involved, the court determined that Sharif’s rights had been violated because neither the director of public prosecutions in Kenya nor the independent policing oversight authority had brought charges against them. The court has mandated that these entities finish their investigations and press charges against the officers in question.
Responses to the Decision
The widow of Sharif sent her appreciation and relief to the Kenyan judiciary, but she swore to keep fighting for full justice. “This ruling has come as a relief to me and my family, but I will not relent in getting maximum justice for my husband,” said the woman.
Ms. Siddique’s attorney, Ochiel Dudley, celebrated the decision as a win for the family and the larger fight for police transparency in Kenya. In light of the court’s ruling, the BBC has contacted the relevant Kenyan authorities to request a statement.
Divergent Narratives Regarding the Assassination
The police gave competing versions of what happened that killed Sharif. Police initially suspected that Sharif’s Toyota Land Cruiser was a stolen vehicle, according to their initial claims. There was also talk that one of the passengers in the car had started firing, which led to the cops returning fire.
The Struggle for Justice Must Go On
Like her late husband, Ms. Siddique is a journalist, and in October, she joined forces with the Kenya Correspondents Association and the Kenya Union of Journalists to launch the complaint. The petitioners were demanding an explanation, remorse, and responsibility from the Kenyan government after describing Sharif’s killing as a “targeted assassination.”
Ms. Siddique is resolute in her pursuit of justice for her husband in Pakistan, regardless of the decision made by the Kenyan court. She keeps trying to get the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists to back her cause of protecting journalists.
Thousands of people attended Arshad Sharif’s funeral in Islamabad two years ago
In summary
The family of Arshad Sharif has taken a giant leap forward in their quest for justice with the decision of the Kajiado High Court. Although money can’t buy happiness, it does highlight the need for responsibility and the safeguarding of basic rights. There must be urgent institutional and legal changes to protect the lives and liberties of journalists, as this instance shows.
