Islamabad, March 7, 2025: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday expressed serious concerns over the delay in ratifying a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement with Kenya in connection with the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif.
Sharif was shot dead by Kenyan police in October 2022 in what they claimed was a case of “mistaken identity.” The journalist had left Pakistan in August 2022 after facing multiple treason cases in different cities.
A six-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, conducted the suo motu hearing. The court expressed displeasure over the government’s failure to expedite the MLA ratification and demanded daily progress reports.
At the start of the hearing, Additional Attorney General (AAG) requested more time, stating that presidential approval for the MLA agreement would be secured within a month.
Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi questioned why the agreement, signed on December 10, 2024, had still not been ratified. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail suggested demanding daily updates, while Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar criticized the government’s repeated delays, noting that three months had already passed.
“A well-known Pakistani journalist was brutally murdered, yet the government has failed to support his family in Kenya,” Justice Rizvi remarked.
Justice Mandokhail stated that the federal government could become a party to the case in Kenya if needed.
The AAG informed the court that a request to advance the investigation had been sent to the Ministry of Interior on February 27. However, Justice Mandokhail questioned why it took so long, considering the last hearing was held in December.
Justice Aminuddin Khan also criticized the inefficacy of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) and emphasized that the delay in the case was a serious concern.
Justice Mazhar asked who was responsible for forwarding the summary to the president. The AAG admitted that the Ministry of Interior was handling it but he had not been able to contact them. Justice Mazhar pointed out that interior ministry officials were present in court, questioning the lack of coordination.
A joint secretary from the Ministry of Interior later informed the court that the summary had been sent to the Foreign Ministry after cabinet approval on February 27.
Justice Mazhar then asked whether the president had the authority to reject the MLA agreement. The ministry’s legal adviser declined to comment.
The Supreme Court has now ordered the government to submit daily progress reports, keeping the case under strict scrutiny.
