Arshad Sharif not tortured before death: Kenyan expert contradicts Pakistan’s reports

A Kenyan expert has contradicted the news reports being aired on Pakistani media regarding the slain senior journalist Arshad Sharif subjected to inhumane torture for hours before being assassinated.

Refuting the news reports carried by the sections of Pakistani media in recent days claiming that journalist Arshad Sharif was tortured for two to three hours and then killed, a Kenyan newspaper cited an expert who analysed post-mortem examination findings and discredited this account of Mr Sharif’s death.

“The reporting by sections of Pakistan media sought to cast doubt on the official account by Kenyan authorities that the prominent journalist was shot dead [last month in Kenya] by police at a roadblock in a case of mistaken identity,” Dawn News quoted a Kenya’s Nation newspaper’s report published on Friday.

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The “torture before death” account first came to the fore when a Pakistani journalist gave what he described as “shocking details of the cold-blooded” killing of Arshad Sharif. That journalist claimed that Mr Sharif was “brutally tortured for over three hours and his nails were pulled from fingers before being martyred, while his fingers and ribs were also broken due to severe torture”.

Describing the death as a premeditated assassination, he said that “the shots were fired from a close range on the back of [Mr Sharif’s] head”.

When the Nation reached out to Dr Ahmed Kalebi, an independent consultant pathologist based in Nairobi who analysed the two post-mortem examination reports to explain the cause of death, he pointed out that the probable time that lapsed between injury and death “was between 10 and 30 minutes”, the Kenyan newspaper reported.

“Whereas the report doesn’t elaborate on the reasoning behind the time interval from injury to death, it appears that this estimation was made on the basis of the injuries seen in the brain and the right lung rather than any particular histopathological examination or further scientific examination analysis,” Dr Kalebi explained.

Leaking of photos of Arshad Sharif’s body creates controversy

The pathologist explained from the reports of autopsies done in Kenya and Pakistan, there is no evidence of torture. “The report has not documented any evidence of other injuries that would be consistent with torture, nor does it indicate that the deceased was tortured before death,” he said.

In Kenya, Chief Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor conducted Arshad Sharif’s post-mortem examination. In Pakistan, an eight-member team led by Prof S.H. Waqar of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences conducted the autopsy, the news report said.

Analysts raised serious concerns over the contradictory reporting on the sensitive issue of Arshad Sharif’s assassination which would create complications in the probe before it is started. They said it is very difficult to variate facts and rumours besides slowing down the pace of investigation regarding the journalist’s killing.

Obuya’s comments on Pakistani media reports

Kenyan investigative journalist Brian Obuya termed the claims regarding the duration of torture ‘disinformation’ and ‘sensation’.

He tweeted, “In Pakistan, there is renewed DISINFORMATION and SENSATION over the brutal murder of #ArshadSharif, that is threatening the credibility of the probe. Sections of Media are reporting that the Journalist was TORTURED for THREE HOURS. That “finding” is NOT SCIENTIFIC.”

In Pakistan, there is renewed DISINFORMATION and SENSATION over the brutal murder of #ArshadSharif, that is threatening the credibility of the probe. Sections of Media are reporting that the Journalist was TORTURED for THREE HOURS. That “finding” is NOT SCIENTIFIC.

— Brian Obuya (@ItsBrianObuya) November 10, 2022

He further said in another tweet, “Reports allege that #ArshadSharif was tortured for three hours. While an autopsy can reveal torture, it cannot tell “Duration of the torture,” such an attempt makes it unbelievable. Part of Sharif’s finger nails were retained during first autopsy for DNA. As shown in the excerpt.”

Reports allege that #ArshadSharif was tortured for three hours. While an autopsy can reveal torture, it cannot tell “Duration of the torture,” such an attempt makes it unbelievable. Part of Sharif’s finger nails were retained during first autopsy for DNA. As shown in the excerpt. pic.twitter.com/OUj6hRckv2

— Brian Obuya (@ItsBrianObuya) November 10, 2022

The leaking of photos of the slain journalist Arshad Sharif’s body and his autopsy report created another controversy as they confirmed the inhumane torture before his assassination.

Dunya News senior anchorperson Kamran Shahid had aired the post-mortem report of the martyred senior journalist Arshad Sharif and the photos of the torture on the journalist’s body in his TV programme.

After the protest of the heirs of the martyr and the reaction on social media, Kamran Shahid removed the pictures of the deceased and the video of the program from his Twitter handle.

Dunya News anchor Kamran Shahid aired the details of the post-mortem report of slain anchorperson Arshad Sharif, who was killed in Kenya, and the photos of the alleged torture marks in his prime time show “Frontline”.