Riffat Ara Alvi, the mother of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, died on Sunday, according to her family.
Arshad, a prominent journalist who was awarded the Pride of Performance by then President Arif Alvi in 2019, was shot dead in Kenya on October 24, 2022. Politicians and the media demanded an investigation into his death, but the Supreme Court and the media have denounced the lack of progress in the investigation.
“Arshad Sharif’s mother, who demanded justice for her son, died,” the deceased journalist’s wife, Javeria Siddique, posted on X today.
In a later post, he said that Riffat’s funeral prayers would be held today at the “H-11 cemetery.” [in] Islamabad at 9 pm.”
Siddique, herself a journalist, published an article in 2023 for dawn.com on her husband’s death in which she called for an “independent, impartial and immediate investigation” to ensure justice for Sharif.
“Everyone is watching, and yet justice seems to become more and more elusive,” he said in the article.
Condolences rain
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over the demise of Alvi.
“I am saddened by the passing away of Arshad Sharif’s mother and pray for the deceased’s forgiveness,” Bilawal said in a post on PPP Media Cell’s X account.
Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari lamented that Alvi “kept asking for justice till the end, but to no avail.”
“Cruel apathy of the judiciary,” he commented in a publication on X.
Correction: This story previously incorrectly stated that Arshad Sharif received the Pride of Performance in 2022. However, he received the award in 2019. The error is regretted and has been corrected.
