Renowned senior journalist and TV anchor, Arshad Sharif, who was brutally murdered in Kenya, had allegedly been denied a US visa before he was forced to flee to the African country due to threats to his life.
Arshad’s former colleague and ARY News correspondent in Washington DC, Jahanzaib Ali, revealed this during a recent media briefing at the US State Department.
State Dept statement on the murder of Pakistani Journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya. Arshad had apparently been denied a visa to the US, so he had to flee to Kenya due to threats to his life.
Part-1: pic.twitter.com/XqwhwHclLV— Waqas (@worqas) October 25, 2022
During the press conference, Jahanzaib told the Spokesperson for the US State Department, Ned Price, that Arshad was forced to live in exile due to his investigative reporting and the ‘specific political system’ in Pakistan.
In response, Price initially extended his condolences to Arshad’s colleagues, family members, and all those who knew him. He demanded a full investigation of his murder from the Kenyan government.
Jahanzaib claimed that Arshad told him a day before his death that the US had rejected his US visa renewal application that he had submitted from the UAE.
Price replied that it is difficult for him to speak with any specificity regarding any individual, but the US government has programs around the world to bolster protection for those practicing the right to expression and the right to information.
He added that the US government had taken action against numerous governments around the world who tried to intimidate, harass, and silence the voices of those practicing these two rights.
Jahanzaib also asked about the safety of journalists who are critical of Pakistan’s political system. Price answered that the US government cherishes these two rights as enshrined in the US Constitution.
He added that the US government firmly believes these rights are universal and should be at the heart of societies worldwide. When governments worldwide fail to respect these rights or contravene them, or when they suppress, repress, or harass journalists, they tend to hear about it from the US government, which is a good thing.
