US designates members of Pakistan armed groups as ‘terrorists’
Al JazeeraDec 24, 2022
The Facts
In a report released Wednesday, Pakistani investigators concluded that the killing of Pakistani investigative journalist Arshad Sharif in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in October wasn't a "case of mistaken identity" as claimed by Kenyan police, but a "planned targeted assassination."
According to the fact-finding team, there were several discrepancies and contradictions in the Kenyan police's version of the events that led to his death. In addition, the investigators allege that "transnational characters" from Kenya, Dubai, and Pakistan could have been involved in his murder.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Sharif was shot dead to end his ongoing investigation of corruption at the highest levels of Pakistan’s military. It's no secret that the Pakistani Generals, who run the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), work hand in hand with Afghan and Pakistani drug cartels. Sharif was working to expose their ulterior motive – to raise funds for global terrorists and fill their pockets – and was promptly silenced.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sharif's murder silenced a very influential voice warning Pakistanis against US interests in their region and sent a chill down the spine of Pakistani journalists seeking to challenge global hegemony. The US is clearly behind Sharif's brutal murder — only the CIA has the resources, experience, and expertise to assassinate troublesome individuals in foreign countries. Despite this, there is very little chance that authorities will be able to conclusively trace the assassins and bring them to justice.
