The fact-finding committee of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has written a letter to the Dubai police seeking information about slain journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead in Kenya in October.
The 49-year-old journalist fled the country in August to avoid arrest after he was slapped with multiple cases, including sedition charges, over an interview with PTI leader Shahbaz Gill during which the latter had made controversial comments.
Alleging threats to his life, Arshad Sharif had moved to Dubai in August and later relocated to Kenya.
According to the letter, the FIA has asked the Dubai police to provide visa, travel documents and other details including CCTV footage of the journalist during his stay in the emirate. The committee also inquired whether Arshad Sharif’s was cancelled by UAE authorities. The UAE authorities were also requested to provide details of arrivals and departures of Pakistani passport holders from August 10 to August 20. The FIA also sought information about allegations that Arshad Sharif was asked by a UAE government official to leave the country.
Earlier this month, the Foreign Office strongly dismissed reports that Pakistani authorities had written a letter to the UAE seeking eviction of Arshad Sharif.
FO spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, while speaking at a weekly media briefing, denied the “disinformation on social media” and said there was no such letter to the knowledge of the FO.