ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) urged the lawyers’ community to observe a complete strike today (Tuesday) and boycott the court proceedings across the country to express solidarity with late Abdul Latif Afridi.
The SCBA and the PBC office-bearers strongly condemned the target killing of Latif Afridi and demanded that the culprits involved in this heinous crime should be caught and dealt with the utmost severity.
Latif Afridi, former SCBA president and vice-chairman was assassinated inside the Peshawar High Court (PHC) bar room on Monday.
The senior advocate was not only an active legal practitioner but was also an exceptional and charismatic leader whose life and practice was based on self-esteem, truthfulness, and integrity.
All his life, he had struggled for upholding the Rule of Law and the Supremacy of the Constitution. Afridi was a vital member of the Lawyers’ Movement and struggled and faced persecution at the hands of the dictator but did not compromise on his democratic values.
The SCBA statement said that Association’s President Abid S Zuberi, Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir, and its 25th Executive Committee said that the incident was one of the numerous recent incidents, wherein, lawyers had been targeted and killed.
They said the incidents such as the killing of the former President of the Faisalabad District Bar Association, Naveed Mukhtar Ghuman and of Advocate Sheikh Imran in Rawalpindi were a result of the failure of law enforcement agencies to provide adequate protection to members of the legal fraternity.
“We are of the opinion that simple words of condemnation are no longer sufficient and we demand that the Government and Law Enforcement Agencies should take concrete steps to ensure that members of the legal fraternity can engage in their practices free from the fear of being targeted and/or killed. We also demand a judicial inquiry into the said incident,” said the SCBA’s statement.
They demanded that the parliament pass legislation in respect of the safety of lawyers. They prayed that “Allah Almighty grants Abdul Latif Afridi the highest place in ‘Jannah’ and gives patience to his family to deal with this terrible loss.”
PBC Vice-Chairman Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhry, and Council Chairman Executive Committee Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti and the members expressed their serious concerns about failure of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Government, KP Police and law enforcement agencies regarding provision of security to Courts and lawyers. The Council ever demanded from the government to make arrangements of security in and around the Court premises.
Besides being a senior member of the Bar, Abdul Latif Afridi enjoyed important offices of the Bar. He was a former vice-chairman Pakistan Bar Council, and president SCBA. He rendered valuable services for the welfare of members of the Bar and the legal fraternity.
They demanded that the trial of the accused may be conducted on a day-to-day basis and planners behind this incident be also arrested immediately.
They also prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant fortitude to members of the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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