Former Supreme Court Bar Association President and senior lawyer Latif Afridi was slain on Monday after an attacker opened fire on him outside the Peshawar High Court, according to Geo News.
Afridi was sent to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital after being shot, but the institution reported that the prominent lawyer died on arrival. Six shots were fired at him, according to the hospital administration. The lawyer’s lifeless remains were taken to his village via ambulance.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Kashif Abbasi, Adnan Afridi was recognized as the attacker and was apprehended at the spot. According to The Express Tribune, the attacker’s family is from the legal community.
The authorities are looking into how the shooter got into the high court despite the protection. The SSP felt that there was personal animosity between the two families, which contributed to this occurrence, and further investigations are being conducted.
When asked about the security measures at the high court, a police officer said they are looking into it and will take action if any flaws are discovered, according to Geo News.
It is worth noting that Latif Afridi and his three family members were recently acquitted in a murder case by Swat Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Aftab Afridi.
He was charged with the judge’s assassination along with nine others.
According to Geo News, Aftab Afridi, his wife, a one-and-a-half-year grandchild, and daughter-in-law were en route to Islamabad from Peshawar through Swabi in April 2021 when unidentified gunmen assaulted his car near the Ambar Interchange.
However, Latif, the then-SCBA president, denied any role in the event and said that he and his son had been wrongfully accused.
Meanwhile, in a condolence statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed great sadness and grief over the jurist’s murder in Peshawar.
“The worsening law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is alarming, the provincial government should immediately take steps to improve it.”
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, condemned the murder, and also questioned the law and order situation.
The National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker also condemned the murder of the lawyer, reported Geo News.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan strongly condemned the killing of Latif Afridi and stated that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was suffering from lawlessness.
The minister said the law-and-order situation in the province was alarming and would not have occurred if the provincial government had focused on peace and order instead of political manipulation. He furthered that this incident was proof of the seriousness of the law-and-order situation, The Tribune Express reported.
