ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday indicated that it may close the suo motu proceedings concerning the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif. The case, originally taken up by the Supreme Court, has been ongoing since Sharif was shot in Nairobi on October 23, 2022, after leaving Pakistan amid multiple sedition cases.
Read More: FCC to issue appropriate order in Arshad Sharif murder case
Justice Aamer Farooq, heading a two-judge FCC bench, said the court would “make an appropriate order” and may seek assistance from parties if needed. He noted that the key issue was determining how to proceed further, given developments in the investigation.
The proceedings were transferred from the Supreme Court to the FCC following the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments. Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman told the court that a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement had been signed between Pakistan and Kenya in September 2025, allowing the Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) to visit the crime scene once permitted.
The AAG said the SJIT report had already been submitted and that Kenya initially refused to assist. He added that two suspects in the murder remain in Kenya, with red notices issued through Interpol for their arrest and repatriation.
Justice Farooq observed that the investigation had been slow, though no blame could be placed, and questioned what further steps the court could take now that a legal framework for cooperation with Kenya exists. During the hearing, he also referenced the 2010 murder of MQM leader Imran Farooq in the UK as an example of successful cross-border cooperation, though the AAG noted that the two cases differ in scope and circumstances.
Read More: FCC to hear Arshad Sharif’s murder case today
The AAG confirmed that investigations by Pakistani agencies were largely complete and recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally discussed the case with Kenyan President William Ruto in 2022. The FCC’s indication to close the proceedings reflects the court’s view that further action may now depend primarily on the MLA framework and cooperation from Kenya.