Somiya Arshad, one of the widows of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, on Wednesday urged the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) not to close the suo motu proceedings concerning her husband’s murder. She called for a fully independent and transparent investigation into the case.
In a three-page plea, Somiya requested that the FCC order the establishment of a comprehensive judicial commission, including international observers, to examine all aspects of Sharif’s killing. This, she said, should cover pre-murder threats, coordinated FIRs, named suspects, institutional involvement, and any potential transnational links.
The plea comes after the FCC, on January 14, hinted at the possible closure of the suo motu proceedings, noting that the court’s facilitation had already led to the signing of a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement between Pakistan and Kenya in September 2025.
Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Nairobi on October 23, 2022, when Kenyan police opened fire on his vehicle. He had left Pakistan two months earlier amid multiple sedition cases filed against him in various cities.
In her latest submission, Somiya Arshad also requested that the FCC order the immediate sharing of the Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) report, along with all related investigation documents, with Sharif’s family.
Additionally, she asked the court to summon nine individuals identified by the journalist’s late mother, as well as other officials mentioned in a fact-finding report prepared by a two-member team. She further urged the FCC to direct the sealing and confiscation of properties linked to the prime accused and to expedite actions under the MLA agreement.
The statement warned that closing the proceedings prematurely would deny justice and erode public trust in the rule of law, particularly given the slow pace of the investigation, limited family access to critical reports, and unresolved nominations of suspects.