Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has strongly condemned the target killing of Rashid Rehman Khan and announced complete strike throughout the country today (Friday).
The lawyer fraternity will hold protest meetings in bar rooms of their respective associations to condemn the tragic incident.
Lawyers and Human Right Activist Rahid Rehman Khan was shot down at the hands of some unidentified armed persons while his fellow advocate as well as his client/private person who were sitting in his chambers, were seriously injured.
The PBC vice chairman said it was extremely painful that he has been punished for representing, as a professional lawyer, in blasphemy case for which he was being threatened and warned of dire consequences. The increasing tendency of target killing of advocates by terrorists and extremist religious elements speaks of high degree of intolerance, which is a cause of grave concern, he added.
He has demanded of the government to arrest the culprits immediately and bring them to book for awarding exemplary punishment.
It is ironical that advocates are being forced through violence, to refrain from discharging their professional duties, which amounts to deny legal and constitutional rights of the people to engage advocates of their own choice to defend them in the courts.