Arshad Sharif

Arshad Sharif (Urdu: ارشد شریف; born 22 February 1973), is a Pakistani journalist, writer and a TV news anchorperson.^[4] He specializes in investigative journalism, and covered many political events in the country for the national and international news organizations, mainly for the United Kingdom. On 23 March 2019, he was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan for his contributions to journalism.^[5]

Arshad Sharif is currently hosting and is primarily the host of the PowerPlay on ARY News. Sharif served on AAJ News as News Director. Prior to joining Aaj, he was leading the news team of Dunya TV as Director News and the host of program Kyun.^[6]

Early life[]

Arshad Sharif was born in Karachi, Pakistan, the son Commander Muhammad Sharif TI(M) TK. He began his journalistic career as a freelancer in 1993 while he was still a student. He received his Master of Science in Public Administration from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

Arshad Sharif's father Commander Muhammad Sharif died of a heart attack at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in May 2011. His younger brother, Major Ashraf Sharif was killed when his car veered off the road on his way to attend the funeral of their father in May 2011.^[7] On hearing about the death of his father, Major Ashraf Sharif, left Bannu Cantonment refusing a chauffeur or escort. A few kilometres away, his vehicle veered off the road and hit a tree, killing him on the spot. Commander Muhammad Sharif and the younger brother of Arshad Sharif, Major Ashraf Sharif were laid to rest with full military honour at the H-11 Graveyard.^[7]

Arshad Sharif has also headed AAJ News and Dunya TV as 'Director News'.^[6] He has worked as a Bureau Chief of Dawn News in 2011.^[7]

His first media job was with a weekly publication, Pulse, he served as a columnist, reporter and managing editor in 1999.^[8] Arshad Sharif joined The News in 1999 and Daily Dawn in 2001.

Journalistic career[]

Arshad Sharif covered conflicts in tribal areas with the specialisation in defence and foreign affairs. He reported for leading Pakistani news organisations from London, Paris, Strasbourg and Kiel. Arshad Sharif is the winner of a 2012 Agahi Award.^[9] Arshad Sharif as Anchor and Adeel Raja as Producer won the 2016 Investigative Journalist of the Year Award^[10] for programme Powerplay. In 2018, Arshad Sharif won the Current Affairs Anchor of the Year Award.

Arshad Sharif started his program Power Play on ARY News in 2014 and the program proved to be a roaring success. The program focused on giving viewers new information rather than having discussions. Following this program, privatization of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan had to be reviewed by the government. Arshad Sharif brought to attention that the Motorway project was going to Saifur Rehman of Ahtesaab Commission fame. He publicized the document signed by Saifur Rehman and chairman, National Highway Authority in China under the cover of a Chinese investment company.

Arshad Sharif brought to attention one of the most controversial privatizations in the history of Pakistan, Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB). Arshad Sharif unearthed the long lost National Accountability Bureau (NAB) report on MCB Privatisation that showed how Nawaz Sharif had handed the bank to Mian Mansha for small favours. He also brought to attention the illegitimate purchase of St. James Hotel in London by Nishat Group.

PowerPlay is perhaps the only program in Pakistani news channels which started raising questions on foreign properties of The Sharif Family even before Panama Papers. Later, PowerPlay team sent questions to Prime Minister Media Cell regarding their off shore companies which remain unanswered to the date. Arshad Sharif via his program PowerPlay was the one who brought most of the documents and investigations related to the affidavit of Ishaq Dar, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Inquiry into PanamaLeaks, other off shore companies which were later admitted by the Nawaz Sharif family. The investigative work by Arshad Sharif and his programme team of PowerPlay was upheld to be of profound significance in the Judgements disqualifying Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister. Many of the findings of the Joint Investigation Team were based on leads and investigations about Nawaz Sharif family which were earlier shown on programme PowerPlay.^[2]

Arshad Sharif has given the viewers a new taste where he does TV programmes with documents, putting them on screen showing the viewers the exact information, evidences of corrupt practices and shady deals. This is a new style of journalism which was never done in Pakistan before him. Most of the information floated around used to be by sources without giving out the actual documents on which they are basing their story.

Awards and recognition[]

• Pride of Performance Award in 2019 by the President of Pakistan^[4]
• Agahi Award for Journalism in 2012^[9]

See also[]

• List of Pakistani journalists
• List of Pakistani writers

References[]

External links[]

• Archives.Dawn (Arshad Sharif's column from 2007)