Lawyers strike to mourn blasphemy defence lawyer

Lawyers in Karachi to boycott courts on Friday.


Naeem Sahoutara/afp May 08, 2014
Advocate Rashid Rehman was shot thrice. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

MULTAN: Lawyers in Multan went on strike Thursday to mourn a colleague who was shot dead for defending a university lecturer accused of blasphemy.

Gunmen stormed the office of defence lawyer Rashid Rehman on Wednesday evening and started firing indiscriminately, shooting him and two of his associates. Rehman, 50, was pronounced dead in hospital.

"We are observing a strike and no lawyer will appear in any court today to mourn and protest the killing of our colleague," Sher Zaman Qureshi, president of the District Bar Association Multan, told AFP.

"We demand that the killers of Rashid Rehman should be arrested immediately," Qureshi said.

He added that Rehman had told the association he had received death threats and they had asked the police to provide security, but the request was declined.

"Rashid Rehman had informed us that he was being threatened by various people to stop defending the blasphemy case, otherwise he will be killed," Qureshi said.

Rehman was representing Junaid Hafeez, a lecturer at Bahauddin Zakariya University who is accused of making derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed in March last year.

Hafeez was known at the university for his liberal views and the blasphemy case was registered after pressure from right-wing student groups, according to a student who did not wish to be named.

An official at the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that for a year, no lawyer was prepared to take up the case over fears of attacks from extremist religious groups.

But Rehman, who was also a rights activist and coordinator of the HRCP, decided to defend Hafeez.

During the first hearing in March this year, which took place inside a prison for security reasons, Rehman received threats from the complainant's lawyers.

"During the hearing the lawyers of the complainant told Rehman that he wouldn't be present at the next hearing as he would not be alive," said the HRCP in a statement issued after the incident in March.

Rehman was threatened in the presence of the judge, according to the HRCP.

Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws and rights campaigners say they are often used to settle personal disputes.

A recent report from a US government advisory panel said Pakistan used blasphemy laws more than any other country in the world, listing 14 people on death row and 19 others serving life sentences on blasphemy charges.

Lawyers in Karachi

Lawyers in Karachi announced that they will boycott courts across the city on Friday to protest the killing of Khan.

COMMENTS (13)

Feroz Merchant | 9 years ago | Reply

" .. he was being threatened by various people to stop defending the blasphemy case, otherwise he will be killed" ---- These people (and that is really being generous) need to re-read the Holy Book again. My sincerest of condolences to Mr. Rashid and his family.

unbelievable | 9 years ago | Reply

During the first hearing in March this year, which took place inside a prison for security reasons, Rehman received threats from the complainant’s lawyers.

If that happened in the USA the judge would have tossed the complainants' attorneys into jail, initiated proceeding to remove their license to practice law, and referred the matter to the city/state prosecutors for prosecution. In Pakistan the judge ignores the matter and Rashid Rehman gets murdered. There is something terribly wrong with Pakistan's judicial system - it's as though you lack a basic moral compass.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ