Afridi was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, says hospital authority
PESHAWAR
Former Supreme Court Bar Association President and senior lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi was killed after an assailant opened fire on him inside the Peshawar High Court (PHC) bar room on Monday.
According to police, the senior lawyer Latif Afridi was sitting in the bar room with other lawyers when a gunman opened fire at him.
“The attacker arrived on the spot and shot him dead,” police added and said that he had been shot several times.
Afridi was immediately rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) where he succumbed to his injuries, said Muhammad Asim the spokesperson of the hospital.
Meanwhile, the gunman has been taken into police custody.
SSP Operations Peshawar Kashif Abbasi told reporters that the arrested person has been identified as Adnan Afridi.
SSP Operations said that the culprit was arrested by the police personnel from the crime scene, adding that the suspect assailant had dressed as a lawyer to obtain entry to the court limits.
Police have recovered a small weapon, an identity card and a student card from the attacker.
Sources said that police during the preliminary investigation revealed that Adnan Afridi, the accused, was a close relative to the slain Latif Afridi.
Last year, Latif Afridi and his son were acquitted in the murder case of Anti-Terrorism Court’s Judge Swat Aftab Afridi who was shot on April 2021 on the Islamabad-Peshawar highway. In the incident, his wife, daughter-in-Law, and grandson were killed.
Sources claimed that the apparent reason behind the attack on Latif Afridi was personal enmity.
Abdul Latif Afiridi, also known as Latif Lala, was formerly the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and played an active role as senior leader of the National Democratic Movement.
He was a member of the National Assembly between 1997 and 1999. Afridi was the first provincial president of the ANP and served as the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association and the vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council.
Latif Afridi was born in Tirah, Khyber Agency in 1943.
Afridi was elected Supreme Court Bar Association president on 30th Oct 2020.
After the tragic incident, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and other senior leaders of different political parties expressed grief over the tragic murder of Latif Afridi.
The funeral prayer of the senior lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi would be offered in his native town Badhber area of the provincial capital on Tuesday (today) at 11 a.m.
ANP,JI, QWP leaders condemn Latif Afridi’s murder
Leaders of various political parties have strongly condemned the killing of former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and senior lawyer Latif Afridi in the premises of Peshawar High Court (PHC) here on Monday.
Awami National Party (ANP) president Asfandayr Wali Khan, Jamat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) central chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in their separate statements have strongly condemned the incident and also prayed for the departed soul.
ANP chief has said that Latif Afridi was a senior lawyer and has rendered valuable services for the welfare of the lawyer’s community.
He created a unique name not only in the field of advocacy but also in the field of politics.
It is a dark day for the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly for the lawyer community, he added.
JI and QWP chiefs have also paid tribute to the slain advocate and described his brutal killing as irreparable damage to KP’s lawyer’s community.
The leaders of the political parties and others also expressed grief and demanded the government to take concrete steps for the protection of lawyers in the provincial capital.
Asfandayr Wali Khan urged the provincial government and law enforcers to apprehend the culprit involved in the cold-blooded murder of senior lawyer Latif Afridi.
It is pertinent to mention here that the police have arrested the attacker.
According to SSP Operations Peshawar the attacker has been arrested on the spot by police personnel.
KP Governor expresses grief over tragic killing of Abdul Latif Afridi
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ghulam Ali on Monday expressed profound grief and sorrow over assassination of senior lawyer and former president supreme court bar association Abdul Latif Afridi here.
In his condolence message the Governor expressed sympathy with the bereaved family and prayed courage for them to bear the loss with fortitude.
