Wife of slain Pakistani journalist’s long and lonely fight for justice

WASHINGTON — 

The past clip Javeria Siddique spoke with her husband, the renowned Pakistani quality anchor Arshad Sharif, helium was “happy and excited,” she said.

Sharif was successful Kenya aft leaving his location state due to the fact that of threats and ineligible issues. On that video telephone connected October 21, 2022, helium talked to each the household members, Siddique said, adjacent the pets.

“His dogs were truthful excited to spot him connected video telephone arsenic they thought helium had returned home,” Siddique told VOA.

But the writer ne'er returned home. Two days aft that call, Sharif was changeable dormant astatine a roadblock successful Kenya.

His decease shocked Pakistan and led to competing theories astir what happened. Was it, arsenic Kenyan authorities claim, a lawsuit of mistaken identity, oregon had almighty interests that Sharif took connected successful his journalism recovered a mode to soundlessness him?

For Siddique, she is balancing grief implicit her hubby of 12 years with warring for answers astir what led to his death, and who whitethorn beryllium responsible.

But it is simply a lonely fight.

“It is truthful quiescent successful my location close present that you tin perceive the ticking of the partition clock. It seems similar everything is getting retired of hand,” Siddique told VOA during a video call.

Siddique, 1 of Sharif’s 2 widows, wants the authorities to re-open the lawsuit into her husband’s killing. “A peculiar judicial committee should beryllium formed,” she said, “so that an probe tin beryllium conducted into the execution of Arshad Sharif and different journalists who person been killed successful Pakistan this year.”

Siddique’s propulsion for justness is simply a situation shared by different families of journalists killed successful evident retaliation for their work.

Pakistan has authorities to guarantee writer information astatine provincial and national levels, said Iqbal Khattak, Pakistan typical for Reporters Without Borders, known arsenic RSF.

But, “both the laws look to beryllium failing successful protecting journalists and combating impunity, leaving journalists vulnerable, without immoderate usage of the ineligible model protections,” said Khattak.

Part of the reason, helium added, is due to the fact that the information commissions and systems required person not been afloat established.

“Without robust and functioning information mechanisms, these laws volition stay ineffective, and the lives of media professionals volition proceed to beryllium astatine greater risks.”

Pakistan has proved to beryllium 1 of the deadliest countries for journalists this year, with astatine slightest six killings, according to media watchdogs.

But the Pakistani media watchdog Freedom Network, of which Khattak is enforcement director, has documented attempted killings this twelvemonth arsenic well.

In the group’s archetypal study focused connected writer safety, it documented astatine slightest 57 violations, including threats, assaults, and ineligible harassment betwixt November 2023 and August 2024.

Sharif had experienced threats and ineligible harassment earlier helium yet near Pakistan successful August 2022.

The one-time anchor of Pakistan’s ARY News transmission had go a vocal professional of Pakistan's almighty subject constitution aft erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from bureau successful April 2022.

“Arshad acted connected his ain will,” said Siddique. “And erstwhile you bash that, the strategy starts to consciousness threatened by specified people.”

Siddique said that suspicious radical would basal extracurricular their home, and connected 1 juncture idiosyncratic tried to participate their property. The writer besides received anonymous threatening calls.

But, she said, Sharif refused to backmost down. “I saw him becoming adjacent much fearless. I saw him crossing the alleged ‘red lines.’ He started questioning assorted things that we usually cannot question successful Pakistan.”

Sharif besides came nether ineligible threats, with sedition charges leveled against him erstwhile helium yet left, traveling archetypal to Dubai and past to Kenya.

Two months later, helium was killed. Two years later, Sharif’s lawsuit remains unresolved.

Cross-border probe

The authorities of Pakistan sent an probe squad to Kenya and requested collaboration with Kenyan authorities, saying “an assassination cannot beryllium ruled out.”

In December 2022, the main justness of Pakistan’s ultimate tribunal ordered a five-member seat to look into Arshad’s death. The pursuing year, that main justness retired; since his departure, determination has been nary question successful the case.

Siddique says the Pakistan tribunal proceedings person been marred with delays and hurdles.

There person been delays successful Kenya, too. After a tribunal determination ruled that the journalist’s decease was unlawful and arbitrary, instrumentality enforcement was ordered to wage compensation. But an entreaty led to a enactment connected the lawsuit until January, 1 of the Kenyan lawyers who represents Siddique told VOA.

RSF’s Iqbal Khattak believes Pakistan should beryllium taking the lead.

“Sharif’s execution communicative begins from Pakistan,” Khattak said. “If we bash not find who killed him and wherefore was helium killed, past the conspiracy theories surrounding his decease volition enactment the people and radical volition judge them.”

For Siddique, the 2 years since her husband’s decease person been hard. She faced threats and harassment that she believes are intended to deter her from demanding a transparent investigation.

“In past 2 years, I had to relocate twice,” she said. “I person seen my ID card, location address, each plastered connected the internet.”

She is besides trying to support the ineligible cases moving forward.

Siddique has demanded that the Pakistani authorities signifier a peculiar judicial committee to analyse her husband’s decease arsenic good arsenic the killings of different journalists successful Pakistan this year.

“Now, I talk up for everyone. Because they each person the enactment to beryllium reunited with their loved ones. I don't person that option,” said Siddique.