- Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Kenya in what police said was a case of "mistaken identity."
- His widow and former PM Imran Khan allege it was a targeted killing due to his criticisms of the military.
The head of Pakistan's spy agency gave an unprecedented press conference to deny it was responsible for killing a high-profile Pakistani journalist in Kenya.
The chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, spoke to the media on Thursday alongside a military spokesperson to address Sharif's killing.
It was the first time that the head of the ISI had ever directly addressed reporters in Pakistan's history, according to the local Dawn newspaper.
Arshad Sharif, an investigative journalist known for being critical of Pakistan's powerful military, was shot dead by Kenyan police on Sunday night.
Kenyan police said that the killing was a case of "mistaken identity" in a mix-up with another car linked to a child abduction case, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera reporter Catherine Soi noted that it was "not clear how police mistook the number plates of these two cars, which are completely different."
Sharif fled Pakistan in August after he faced sedition charges following an interview with a close aide of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in which the aide made comments deemed to be offensive to the military.
Sharif is believed to have had a close relationship with Khan, who was ousted from power in April after he appeared to have lost the support of the military.
The military has ruled the country for over half of its history and is viewed as the major powerbroker behind the scenes.
The shadowy ISI spy agency, which has close ties to the military, has long been accused of supporting terrorist groups that attack its neighbors, manipulating elections, and abducting and killing journalists. It has continually denied all of the allegations.
Ousted Prime Minister Khan said that Sharif's death "highlighted an ongoing targeting of anyone who dares to criticize or question those holding power," per Al Jazeera.
Sharif's widow Javeria Siddique also said that she believed it was a "target killing." "Journalism is not a crime. Please raise your voice," she said in a video message.
Pakistan has a long history of suppressing the media and is ranked 157 out of 180 countries in a press freedom index by Reporters without Borders.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded an inquiry into Sharif's death. It said in a statement to Al Jazeera: "A long, grim record of violent tactics to silence journalists explains why the reported murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya has sent shock waves through the journalist community."
Pakistan's ISI and military deny responsibility for the killing
Lt. Gen. Anjum denied that ISI and the military had anything to do with his death and said that they had "no personal enmity" with him, per VOA News.
Military spokesperson Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar said that Sharif's death was an unfortunate incident and asked that judgments not be made until a two-member inquiry committee investigating the circumstances of his death returned their report.
During the press conference, the pair doubled down on their criticisms of Khan but denied having taken action to remove him from power.
"The army had an intense internal discussion. We reached the conclusion the country's interest lies in us restricting ourselves to our constitutional role and remaining out of politics," Anjum said, per VOA.
Sharif's funeral was held in Islamabad on Thursday and drew crowds of up to 30,000, an Islamabad police officer estimated to Al Jazeera.