Unidentified assailants fire at Raja Omer, injuring him critically.
RAWALPINDI:
Attacks against lawyers in the garrison city continue unabated as another senior lawyer was shot late Wednesday night in the jurisdiction of New Town police station.
Investigation officer Assistant Sub-inspector Muhammad Mushtaq told The Express Tribune that senior lawyer and District Bar Association (DBA) member Raja Omer was on his way home when two armed motorcyclists targeted him late at night.
“He was refuelling his car at a CNG pump in the Katharian Pul area when the motorcyclists opened fire at him, leaving him seriously injured,” he said.
People present at the scene informed Rescue 1122 who shifted him to Holy Family Hospital, he added.
The police officer said, “The lawyer is in critical condition and his statement cannot be recorded.”
However, an initial FIR has been registered against unknown persons, he added. “The lawyer has no enmity with anyone nor is he pursuing high-profile cases.”
The motive behind the crime could not be ascertained, however, the lawyers’ fraternity considers the latest incident as a continuation of a series of armed attacks which they said was an attempt to discourage them from supporting an independent judiciary.
Doctors at the hospital said Omer and could not record his statement. “The lawyer is on ventilator in surgical ICU as his condition is critical,” said Dr Irfan. He was hit by a bullet in the chest, he added.
DBA strongly condemned the attack and demanded the provincial government to
take notice of the attacks being carried out against the fraternity.
“His only fault is that he is a lawyer fighting for the supremacy of the judiciary,” said DBA Secretary General Malik Zaheer Arshad.
This year three lawyers have been killed so far, while several have been tortured, dumped unconscious in deserted areas after they were kidnapped.
Lawyers who have been murdered include Federal Investigation Agency’s
Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and Supreme Court lawyer Chaudhry Muhammad Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2013.
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The statement by the DBA Secretary General proves that the judges are using the lawyers to strengthen their position. I always believed the judges derived their strength from being impartial, fair and honest.