Lateef Afridi

Abdul Lateef Afridi
عبدالطیف افریدی
Born(1943-11-14)14 November 1943
Khyber, North-West Frontier Province, British India
(present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)[1]
Died16 January 2023(2023-01-16) (aged 79)
Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Cause of deathAssassination
Occupations
OfficePresident of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (2020–2021)[2]
President of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association
Vice-Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council (2011)
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (1997–1999)
Political partyNational Democratic Movement
Other political
affiliations

Abdul Lateef Afridi (Pashto, Urdu: عبدالطیف افریدی; 14 November 1943 – 16 January 2023), also known as Lateef Lala (لطیف لالا), was a Pakistani lawyer and politician who served in the National Assembly from 1997 until 1999 as a member of the Awami National Party. In September 2021, Afridi was one of the founders of the National Democratic Movement.

Afridi had a prominent legal career, culminating in his election as president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan in 2020. Prior to this, Afridi was the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association and was a leader in the Lawyers' Movement.

On 16 January 2023, Afridi was murdered by a gunman dressed in judicial robes, who fired six shots at Afridi's chest at close range at the Peshawar High Court.

Biography

Early life

Abdul Lateef Afridi was born in 1943 in Tirah, Khyber Agency. He obtained a master's degree from Peshawar University in 1966. Two years later, he received a law degree from the same institution. Afridi was expelled from the university for supporting Fatima Jinnah in the 1964 presidential election.[3]

In 1979, Afridi joined the Pakistan National Party and became its provincial president in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 1986, when the PNP merged into the Awami National Party, Afridi remained as the provincial president and eventually rose to become the party's vice president. In 1997, Afridi was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from the NA-46 constituency, serving until 1999.[3][4]

Afridi was elected five times as president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, and he was elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan on 30 October 2020. Afridi was a prominent leader in the Lawyers' Movement protests in the late-2000s.[4][5][6]

On 2 September 2019, Afridi's ANP membership was terminated by Aimal Wali Khan, the party's Khyber provincial president.[7][8] On 1 September 2021, Afridi became a founding member of the National Democratic Movement (NDM).[9][10]

Death

On 16 January 2023, Afridi was lounging with other lawyers in the bar room at the Peshawar High Court when a gunman dressed in full judicial robes opened fire at him, striking him in the chest six times from close range. Afridi was taken to the nearby Lady Reading Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 79.[1][11] The attacker, Adnan Khan, was arrested at the scene and reportedly accused Afridi of orchestrating the killing of his father.[12][13]

Reactions

Former President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed condemnation for the death, stating that Afridi was a supporter of democracy and a staunch opponent of extremism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for immediate measures to be taken to address the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Other government officials, including government ministers and National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, also condemned the murder.[1][14]

The Supreme Court Bar Association and the Pakistan Bar Council announced that lawyers across Pakistan would go on strike and not appear in court on 17 January. According to PBC's press release, members of the council expressed "serious concerns upon the failure of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police and law enforcement agencies regarding the provision of security to courts and lawyers". The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, the Peshawar Bar Association, the Sindh Bar Council, the Lahore Bar Association, and the Lahore High Court Bar Association also expressed condemnation and announced strikes in protest.[14][15][16]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Former SCBA president Latif Afridi gunned down in PHC bar room". Geo News. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. ^ Presidents. Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.
  3. ^ a b Ali, Tahir (2009). "A dream come true". Jang Media Group. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Former SCBA President Abdul Latif Afridi Assassinated In PHC Bar Room". The Friday Times. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  5. ^ Veteran lawyer Latif Afridi elected SCBA president. GEO News. 30 October 2020.
  6. ^ NAPP leaders rejoin ANP, Asfandyar welcomes old colleagues 22 May 2005. Retrieved 08-10-08
  7. ^ "ANP terminates basic membership of senior leader Latif Afridi". The News International. 3 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Latif Afridi's expulsion from ANP won't end journey of his long political struggle". 12 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Waziristan MNA, nationalists form political party". Dawn. 2 September 2021.
  10. ^ Krishnankutty, Pia (2 September 2021). "Pashtun leaders launch National Democratic Movement, party to counter Pakistan 'militarisation'". ThePrint.
  11. ^ "Senior lawyer Latif Afridi killed in Peshawar High Court bar room firing". 16 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Top lawyer shot dead by colleague at Pakistan high court, say police". The Guardian. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Pakistan: Top lawyer shot dead by colleague at high court". DW. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Senior lawyer Latif Afridi shot dead at Peshawar High Court". The Express Tribune. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Senior lawyer Latif Afridi killed in Peshawar High Court bar room firing". Dawn. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Ex-SCBA president Latif Afridi shot dead in Peshawar High Court". The News International. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.