Daily Times

Scotland Yard on Thursday decided not to investigate former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and their associates in connection with the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and a gun attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan in Wazirabad, citing a lack of evidence.

The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command Unit, after thorough consideration, determined that there were no grounds to launch a formal investigation. The complainant, Tasneem Haider Shah, failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claims against the Sharifs and their colleagues, Mian Saleem Raza, Nasir Mahmood, Zubair Gull, and Rashid Nasrullah.

In November 2022, Shah, a senior PML-N activist in the UK, made headlines by alleging that the Sharifs and their associates were involved in plotting Arshad Sharif’s murder in London on July 8, 2022. This prompted the Metropolitan Police to conduct a “scoping exercise” to assess the validity of these allegations. Shah, accompanied by his solicitor Mahtab Anwar Aziz, attended multiple press conferences and police meetings to emphasise that there was enough evidence to warrant an investigation. The seriousness of the allegations led Scotland Yard’s Central West Command Unit to refer the matter to its Counter Terrorism Command Unit.

After nearly 18 months of assessment, Scotland Yard informed that it would not be commencing an investigation in the UK due to insufficient evidence. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated, “In November 2022, the Met Police received reports related to allegations of conspiracy to murder in Pakistan and Kenya. The matter was reviewed by specialist detectives who determined there were insufficient grounds to launch an investigation.” The first complaint was lodged on November 5, 2022, accusing Nawaz and Maryam of ordering an attack on Imran Khan from London. Despite this, the police took no action due to a lack of evidence.

Imran Khan was shot and injured on November 1, 2022, during a PTI march in Wazirabad. Following this, Shah held a press conference on November 20, 2022, claiming the police were investigating and that he had submitted evidence on three occasions.

Haider alleged that the plot to attack Arshad Sharif was devised in London and that he was asked to find shooters in Kenya for the attack. He also claimed to have seen footage of Arshad being tortured at PML-N’s London office while Nawaz Sharif was present. Despite the police’s decision to close the case, Haider maintains his allegations, asserting that the individuals involved have a history of misconduct and that he is now in contact with the Kenyan government regarding the Arshad Sharif case.