ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
This week, a case filed on behalf of the state against Sharif’s murder was shelved due to the prosecution’s ‘disinterest’ in pursuing it. The Sharif family had persistently refused to join the case proceedings, as they felt the state had disregarded their ‘right’ to file the FIR as the slain journalist’s heirs, Dawn point of view.
While the state must respect the family’s wishes, the case’s shelving should not put an end to efforts to trace Sharif’s killers and hold them to account. According to Sharif’s family, the journalist, whose departure from the country was sudden, had said that his life was under threat from certain elements.
It remains to be determined if these same elements eventually became involved in his killing. It is disappointing also to note the seeming lack of interest from international media rights organisations in pursuing Mr Sharif’s case.
Sustained pressure from them could have pushed the authorities of both countries to pursue their investigations matter more vigorously and make a clear determination of the facts of the case — it is a course they can still pursue. This high-profile assassination cannot be brushed under the carpet, nor should its perpetrators be allowed to walk free.
Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023