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Arshad Sharif killing: Army asks govt to form inquiry commission

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  • Seeks detailed investigation into the slaying of Sharif.
  • Urges legal action against alleged blame-mongers.
  • Judicial commission to investigate the case.

ISLAMABAD: Major General Babar Iftikhar, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Tuesday said the military had asked the government to carry out a high-level investigation into the tragic killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif by Kenyan law enforcement officials.

The Kenyan police fatally wounded Sharif on the night of Sunday, October 23, in what the Kenyan authorities said was a “mistaken identity” shooting on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. 

“We have requested the government to hold a high-level investigation so that all these speculations can be put to rest,” he while talking to a private news channel. “All the aspects of this terrible incident need to be looked into.”

To a question regarding the accusations being hurled at the institutions’ alleged involvement in Sharif’s killing in Kenya, DG said: “It is very unfortunate that people indulge in allegations without any evidence to back them up … and I think an exhaustive investigation should be carried out to deal with these things”.

He said it was critical to watch out for the elements trying to exploit this tragic incident to their advantage.

“I believe it should also be investigated as to why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan in the first place,” the DG ISPR said.

“Though Kenyan police have confessed to their mistake, a number of questions need to be answered.”

Earlier it was reported that the General Headquarters (GHQ) had moved the government to constitute a high-level panel to look into the killing of the senior journalist.

The military, in a letter to the government, requested the formation of an inquiry commission for a detailed investigation into the killing of Sharif by Kenya’s police.

The letter also requests legal proceedings against those who are casting aspersions/accusations as per the constitution of Pakistan. 

Earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to form a judicial commission headed by a high court judge to probe into the tragic incident. 

Aurangzeb said the decision had been taken to ascertain the facts that led to the journalist’s killing under mysterious circumstances.

The premier also broadcast his decision on the social media website Twitter.

“I have decided to form a Judicial Commission to hold an inquiry into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in order to determine the facts of the tragic incident in a transparent & conclusive manner,” the PM said in a Twitter post.

A senior police officer told The Star newspaper of Kenya that the shooting was being treated as a case of “mistaken identity.”

The circumstances of Sharif’s death sparked widespread outrage in Pakistan and calls for an investigation. The police report said a relative of Sharif had been driving the car, adding that a roadblock using small stones had been placed on the road to stop cars, but Sharif’s vehicle drove through without stopping, even after officers opened fire. Nine bullets hit the car, and one hit Sharif in the head.

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Elections

Plans are being finalized for the April 2 Senate elections.

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As ballots are being printed, the final preparations are being made for the Senate elections that are set on April 2.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sources that state that printing presses in Islamabad and Karachi are producing the ballot sheets.

According to the sources, ballots for the Senate elections are being printed in four different colors.

According to ECP officials, green ballot paper would be used for technocrat seats and white ballot paper for general seats.

Likewise, ballots for the minority and women’s seats would be yellow and pink, respectively.

On April 2, 48 Senate seats are up for election. The National Assembly and each of the four province assembly will host polling places.

In the meantime, the Punjab Assembly hall has been designated as a Senate election polling place. According to a notification from the Speaker, the polling would take place from 9 AM to 4 PM.

On April 2, voting for the seats reserved for women, minorities, and technocrats would take place in the Punjab Assembly polling place.

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The prime minister reorganizes the Common Interests Council.

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The Council of Common Interests has been reconfigured by Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif.

Additionally, the notification to this effect was released following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s consent.

The announcement states that the foreign minister, rather than the finance minister, has been included in the CCI for the first time in the nation’s history. Prime Minister Sharif will preside over the eight-member Council of Common Interests.

The announcement stated that the four chief ministers would be members of the CCI. Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister, has been admitted to the CCI.

The notification states that Safron Minister Engineer Amir Muqam and Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will also be on the CCI. Commencing on March 21, the Council of Common Interests has been constituted.


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“Nawaz Sharif Kisan Card” for farmers gets approved by CM Punjab

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At a meeting on agricultural reforms, Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz presided over the approval of the “Nawaz Sharif Kisan Card” for farmers.

Farmers would receive a variety of subsidies through the Kisan Card scheme, and 500,000 small farmers in Punjab will be eligible for loans totaling Rs 150 billion over the course of a year. Each farmer will receive Rs 30,000 for every acre of land used for agriculture.

CM Maryam Nawaz announced during the meeting that a model agriculture center will be constructed in each district of the province with the assistance of the commercial sector, enabling farmers to discard phony fertilizers and medications.

The establishment of a cutting-edge center of excellence for research development on cotton, wheat, and rice crops was approved during the conference, and the Agriculture Department was instructed to gather comprehensive data on the production and demand of each crop.

Participants in the conference decided to link the research center with local universities and to give the board authority over administrative matters.

It was also decided to construct a research and development center at Agricultural University Faisalabad with Chinese participation, at a cost of Rs 2 billion.

In addition, it was decided to hire 500 agricultural graduates, update the Punjab Seed Corporation and Punjab Agricultural Research Board’s organizational structures, provide a bill that forbids the use of agricultural land for residential purposes, and outfit the Agricultural Extension Wing with cutting-edge machinery.

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