Journalist Arshad Sharif’s funeral prayers offered at Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad

The funeral prayers of senior journalist Arshad Sharif were offered at Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad on Thursday.

Scores of people including members of the media fraternity attended his funeral prayer. He will be buried at the H-11 cemetery in the federal capital.

Security around Shah Faisal Mosque was heightened ahead of the funeral, with deployment of around 3,800 security personnel.

Sharif died after being shot in Kenya with his death raising questions on the incident and the authenticity of Kenyan police's claims.

Kenyan police say 'mistaken identity'

In a news report, The Star, Kenya, had quoted the local police as saying that Arshad was shot dead by police in a case of “mistaken identity”.

The report added that the incident took place on Sunday night along the Nairobi-Magadi highway.

"Arshad was shot in the head and killed by police after he and his driver allegedly breached a roadblock that had been set up to check on motor vehicles using the route," the news report by The Star added.

"As per police, at the roadblock, there was a call for police to intercept a car similar to the one Arshad was driving, following a carjacking incident in Pangani area, Nairobi in which a child was taken hostage."

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The report further stated that a few minutes later, Arshad'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. This prompted a brief chase and shooting that left Arshad dead. Their car rolled and his driver was injured and taken to hospital."

Reactions to his killing

Back in Pakistan, members of the political and media fraternities have not digested Kenyan police's claims, and have called for a thorough investigation amid heightened political tension in Pakistan.

His death has prompted several press conferences and announcements, including the first by the head of Pakistan's spy agency — Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum on Thursday.

‘Arshad left for Kenya when his visa for Dubai expired’

During the press conference, also addressed by Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar, the officials looked to address concerns raised after Sharif's killing.

The DG ISPR said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government on August 5 issued a letter on the directives of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan which stated that a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter group was looking to target the journalist.

In a press conference, the DG ISPR said that the threat alert was issued with the aim to force Arshad to leave the country, adding that there were reports that he did not want to leave the country.

“On August 10, Arshad left Peshawar airport for Dubai. He was provided complete protocol by the KPK government.

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“Arshad remained in the UAE until he had a valid visa. He left for Kenya when his visa for Dubai expired.”

The DG ISPR said that no one forced the journalist to leave Dubai at a government level, questioning who exactly forced him to leave.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced that a judicial commission would be formed to probe the journalist’s killing.