A local court of Islamabad has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Samia Arshad, the widow of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, over non-appearance in the murder case of her husband.

The murder case of senior journalist Arshad Sharif was heard in the court of Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah.

The court also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the producer of Arshad Sharif's TV program, Ali Usman.

The court had summoned both the witnesses, Samia and Ali Usman, in the Arshad Sharif murder case to record their statements.

At the last hearing on September 2, notices were issued to the two witnesses to ensure their presence on September 9 to record their statements.

Non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against the two over their non-appearance this time as well. 

Sharif’s wife, his son, Ali Usman, and 16 others were among the witnesses mentioned in the FIR registered on behalf of the state in the journalist's murder case. 

In December 2022, the apex court had taken suo motu notice of the murder of the senior journalist and directed the federal government to register a case into it.

The court had formed a five-member larger bench which heard the case on December 6, 2022, and issued the directions to the government. 

The suo motu notice had been taken on the recommendations of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial. 

Arshad Sharif murder case

Arshad Sharif was a senior journalist and anchorperson, who had been shot in the chest and head allegedly by Kenyan police after he and his driver had driven through a police roadblock outside of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

The Kenyan police had claimed that Sharif, along with his driver, was driving from Magadi Town to Nairobi when they were flagged down at the roadblock manned by five police officers. But when they did not stop and ran the blockade, police fired at the vehicle, killing Sharif.

However, the autopsy showed that Arshad Sharif was shot from far too close a range compared to what was being claimed by the police. ubsequently, the Kenyan police said the Independent Policing Oversight Authority would take over the case.

According to police deputed at the roadblock, they had received a tip-off to intercept a car similar to the one Sharif was traveling in following a carjacking incident in Pangani area of Nairobi and the possibility of a kidnapping.

And a few minutes later, Sharif’s car emerged at the roadblock and they were stopped and asked to identify themselves. They allegedly failed to stop and drove past the roadblock.