Khurram and Waqar devastated, fearing for their lives after Arshad Sharif killing, lawyer says

KENYA; Nairobi: A Kenyan lawyer has said that brothers Waqar Ahmad and Khurram Ahmad are fearing for their lives after the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif and the following controversy. Speaking to Geo and The News in an exclusive interview, the lawyer for Waqar Ahmed and Khurram Ahmed defended both brothers who have become the centre of investigation, rumours, facts and fiction.

They have not spoken publicly to anyone but contacted this reporter through one of their lawyers.Speaking on behalf of both brothers, the lawyer told Geo and The News that Khurram and Waqar, who sponsored and hosted Arshad Sharif in Nairobi for over two months, were being “vilified” in Pakistan and “are also very traumatised and fearful of their lives”. The lawyer told this reporter that both Waqar Ahmad and Khurram Ahmad were “friends” of the slain journalist Arshad Sharif and “kept him safe” while he was in Kenya for over two months.

He added: “It is just unfortunate the Kenyan police in an operation and the white vehicle heading home crossed paths. Arshad would be alive and safe today if the issue of stolen white Mercedes had not happened.” The lawyer condemned the media coverage of Arshad Sharif’s case in Pakistan.

He said: “These news stories being published are total lies and just conspiracy theories. No official statement has been made to warrant the tarnishing of our clients’ names who are devastated by these events.”

The Nairobi-based attorney said that Waqar and Khurram will not speak to the media and he explained why: “We will stay above all the nonsense and speak when official investigation reports are issued. Please don’t be fooled.

The facts and official evidence will speak for itself and exonerate our clients. They (Khurram and Waqar) are victims too.”

When asked what was the version of Khurram and Waqar about the events of night of 23rd of October 2022 when Arshad Sharif was killed by the Kenyan police while Khurram was driving the Toyota Land Cruiser, the lawyer stuck to the position adopted by Khurram Ahmad that it was a road accident and a case of “mistaken identity”.

He said: “The fact of the matter is that Kenyan police had a roadblock after a report of a stolen vehicle and mistook our clients’ car for the said thugs. They have admitted as much. These complex theories are just lies which keep changing every day. The truth cannot change.”

The lawyer invited Pakistani media to accept the “simpler” explanation of what happened to Arshad Sharif – the case of road accident and mistaken identity. The lawyer asked the media to consider the “Occam’s razor principle” often attributed to 14th century Friar William of Ockham that says that if you have two competing ideas to explain the same phenomenon, you should prefer the simpler one.

When asked by this reporter to comment on the similar statement issued by both the police and Khurram saying Arshad’s killing was a “mistaken identity” but the police later changing its statement to allegation that shots were fired from Arshad Sharif’s car on the police, the lawyer criticised the Kenyan police.

He said: “The police made a mistake and obviously as an afterthought they will try and defend their wrongful actions. Where is the police report that they were shot at that night? Why didn’t they arrest Khurram when they arrived at the scene of collecting the body? Why haven’t they arrested him to date? Shooting at police is a serious offence yet they have never questioned him or arrested him on that?” When asked to explain, the lawyer accused the Kenya Police of lying.

“They are lying because they are being investigated by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for wrongfully shooting a civilian. He said “the investigating agencies can also manipulate evidence to suit their needs. In the end justice and truth will prevail, Inshallah.”

Earlier the Chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said the matter of Arshad Sharif’s murder at the hands of Kenya’s police is under full and thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the shooting.

Arshad Sharif arrived in the Kenyan capital on 20th of August and died on 23rd of October in a shootout in which his driver Khurram Ahmad survived unharmed. The journalist stayed in the penthouse of an apartment building in Nairobi owned by brothers Waqar Ahmed and Khurram Ahmed.

They reserved the penthouse exclusively for Sharif, where the slain journalist stayed for over two months before his tragic killing. They have denied any foul play.