PESHAWAR:
Describing the death of journalist Arshad Sharif by police firing in Kenya as an “act of targeted killing”,. Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that he advised the anchorperson to leave Pakistan because of “threats to his life”.
Addressing a lawyers’ convention at Nishtar Hall in Peshawar, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief said that the journalist was “martyred for speaking the truth”.
Arshad Sharif
“When Arshad Sharif started receiving threats from unknown numbers for exposing the regime change conspiracy, I asked him to leave the country,” Mr Khan claimed.
He said at first the journalist refused to leave the country, but he left upon his advice. He said he told the slain journalist that he got information the same way he had received the information about a plot to kill him.
“No matter what the people say about the murder of Mr Sharif, it is an act of targeted killing,” he said.
Mr Sharif was shot dead
in Kenya allegedly by the local police on Sunday night,with an official police statement later expressing “regrets on the unfortunate incident” and saying an investigation was underway.
“He [Sharif] knew his life was in danger. Mr. sharif knew he was repeatedly getting warnings. because brave man didn’t step back.
I told him [to back down but] he wasn’t scared and then lastly, this target killing. No matter what people say, I know this was target killing,” Dawn.com quoted Imran Khan as saying.
He also spoke about his immense respect and admiration for the journalist.
Khan paid tribute to journalist Sharif, calling him “a brave patriot who never compromised his conscience”. said he stood for “justice, truth and Pakistan’s interests”, adding that he himself had been on the receiving end of criticism from the journalist on numerous occasions.
great journalist.
never forgave any mafia. He exposed these two families [Sharif and Zardari families] in every programme with proof but no one could scare or buy him …
then he started getting threats from unknown numbers to ‘not say this or speak the truth’
Imran said Sharif left the country but was being called back when his visa in the UAE was about to expire.
“Not because he committed a crime but just so he doesn’t speak the truth.
com as claiming.
“I have decided to face these oppressors till his death and you all have to participa
According to the former premier,
there was a certain person in Islamabad, whom he dubbed ‘Dirty Harry’, allegedly torturing people and stripping them naked.
Later, in an address to the Oxford Union, a prestigious debating society which features prominent speakers from
I had nothing to hide so why would I be afraid of the press?”
Absar Alam was shot because of a personal dispute. My government did not clamp down on any journalist. Anything like that had to do with the security forces.”
Alleged that the abuse meted out to journalists was done by security agencies. “They felt their soldiers’ lives were being endangered, so they would take harsh action against those criticising them.
The two or three times we found out when journalists were picked up, it was never from the political government.”
Mr Khan said security forces across the world became accustomed to high-handed tactics because of the war on terror.
Atika Rehman in London also contributed to this report