Peshawar witnessed another gruesome killing as a senior lawyer Latif Afridi was shot dead in the Peshawar Highcourt Bar room. It is a serious security lapse, as how the man entered the premises of the bar room with weapon and many heads must roll. It also proved how daredevils are unscrupulous elements who feel free to execute their nefarious plans — and that too unmindful of heavy law-enforcement presence and under stringent security.
The former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association was a notable soul, and had pushed the envelope of justice fearlessly. The shootout right inside his chamber by a lethal gunman is a blot on the face of our anti-terror strategy and goes on to establish that there are serious and severe loopholes, and the same are in need of being ploughed. The gruesome killing sparked protests of lawyers across the country. The police official said that the incident took place due to old enmity.
Afridi was always full of cases that had much to do with public welfare and the decorum of law. During his presidency days at the apex court bar, he made his outstanding presence felt by coming down hard on the judiciary itself, and campaigning for a culture where the courts and legal bureaucracy are free from politics. He advocated and pleaded many such cases that inadvertently rubbed shoulders with the powers-that-be.
Thus, his exit in such a barbaric manner will surely go on to raise eyebrows, and must solicit attention of authorities at the helm of affairs. A suo motu notice is worth this killing, in an attempt to not only ensure speedy justice but also to flag out black sheep in the administration and law-enforcement circles who are callous and look the other way round.
