Tens of thousands of people attended slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif’s funeral in Islamabad on Thursday.
The 49-year-old popular television anchor was shot and killed by police in Kenya in what was initially described as a case of “mistaken identity.”
Funeral prayers for him were held in the afternoon at Islamabad’s famous Faisal Mosque amid heavy security.
The crowds chanted slogans that his “blood would bring a revolution.”
His body arrived in Islamabad early on Wednesday.
A fierce critic of the controversial ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in April, Arshad fled Pakistan for Dubai in August as police had filed cases, including
one for sedition, against him.
Imran has said the journalist lost his life in a targeted killing and that he had left Pakistan because he did not feel safe.
A number of journalists seen supporting Imran have faced police cases in recent months and some have been assaulted by unidentified people.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum denied there was any threat
to Arshad’s life in Pakistan.
This was the ISI chief’s rare interaction with the media during which he answered a range of questions along with Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar, who heads the
military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)
Nadeem said Arshad as a senior journalist enjoyed good relations with the security establishment and was keen to return to Pakistan.
The journalist worked for many years with television channel ARY.
The ISI chief said as per Kenyan authorities’ initial findings the killing happened due to “mistaken identity.”
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Pakistan is not “fully satisfied” with this explanation, he said.
“That’s why the government has formed a team, which will go to Kenya to conduct an investigation. The government has also set up a judicial commission (to conduct an inquiry),” the ISI chief said.
Arshad stayed in the United Arab Emirates until he had a valid visa and left for Kenya when his visa expired, according to the Pakistani officials.
The car in which the slain journalist travelled was driven by a man identified as Khurram Ahmed, a member of the family that hosted Arshad in Kenya.
The vehicle had a number of bullet marks and Arshad was shot in the head.
Khurram was not hurt in the shooting, according to reports.
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