Waqar Ahmad sought protection from Canada after Arshad Sharif's killing

By
Murtaza Ali Shah
|
Nyaboga Kiage
Slain journalist Arshad Sharif. — Facebook/File
Slain journalist Arshad Sharif. — Facebook/File

  • Waqar told Canadian high commission that his life was in danger.
  • High commission told him that it cannot provide safety to individuals.
  • Waqar, Khurram were last two people with Sharif when he was killed.


NAIROBI, KENYA: Waqar Ahmad contacted the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi to get protection after the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif, sources in Kenya have shared.

Waqar and his brother Khurram Ahmed are at the centre of Sharif's murder investigation as they were the hosts of the slain journalist during his stay in the Kenyan capital.

Waqar approached the High Commission of Canada to Kenya in Central Nairobi claiming that his life was in danger after the killing of Arshad Sharif and that he needed protection, according to sources.

The sources added that the Canadian diplomatic mission told him that it could not provide safety to individuals but he would be entitled to all services available to Canadian nationals.

Waqar and Khurram’s lawyer had told Geo News that his clients are devastated and fearing for their lives.

Khurram was driving Sharif to Nairobi in his Toyota Land Cruiser when he was killed by the General Service Unit (GSU) officers in a hail of bullets.

Waqar is understood to hold Canadian nationality; Ahmad works and lives in Nairobi and their third brother is a Canadian national and lives there.

AmmoDump shooting site is owned by Khurram and business partner Jamshaid Qureshi. The two also own several residential properties in Nairobi including the posh Riverside block of flats where Sharif lived in the penthouse for two months — until making his last journey to the shooting range.

They started AmmoDump Kwenia Range around seven years ago. According to the site’s website, it provides recreational activities such as shooting practices, police and firearms training, military shooting training, bike and motor rides and weekend and weekdays camping.

The site has no electricity and it uses its own generators for light. The border of Tanzania is located 880 kilometres from the joint.

Sharif was killed on the night of October 23, while he was on his way from AmmoDump Shooting Range to Nairobi. The Kenyan authorities are working on the case. Two Pakistani investigators first visited Kenya and now they are in Dubai to collect evidence.