Arshad Sharif, prominent journalist who fled Pakistan, killed in shooting in Kenya
Mourners pay their respects to the dead in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi Sunday, Aug. 6, 2014. On Sunday, a prominent member of Pakistan’s press who fled the country by crossing the border with a fake passport was shot dead in a drive-by shooting near the headquarters of the Al-Jazeera news network. He was identified by Pakistani media as Asad Qadri. Police said he was killed in an attempted assault on a Nairobi guesthouse where he had been staying. (AP Photo/Leah Millis)
Mourners pay their respects to the dead in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi Sunday, Aug. 6, 2014. On Sunday, a prominent member of Pakistan’s press who fled the country by crossing the border with a fake passport was shot dead in a drive-by shooting near the headquarters of the Al-Jazeera news network. He was identified by Pakistani media as Asad Qadri. Police said he was killed in an attempted assault on a Nairobi guesthouse where he had been staying. (AP Photo/Leah Millis)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A prominent journalist who fled Pakistan by crossing the border with a fake passport was shot dead in Nairobi Sunday, prompting outrage among the country’s critics who said the journalist, Asad Qadri, was murdered for his critical coverage of the country’s powerful military and ruling party.
Nairobi police said Qadri, 34, was killed in an attempted “assassination” on a guesthouse where he had been staying. Police didn’t confirm the gunman’s nationality or ethnic background.
Nairobi’s main opposition political party in Pakistan called for protests Monday. The Pakistan Awami Tehreek Party said in a statement that Qadri was “shot without a reason.”
Qadri left Pakistan in 2013 after he was questioned by police who accused him of spreading false information. He had been trying to get asylum internationally and was living in Kenya with several friends and relatives. His family also lives in Kenya, and Qadri’s