PBC observes countrywide strike against Rashid Rehman’s killing

ISLAMABAD: Lawyer bodies throughout Pakistan are observing three-day mourning against the target killing of southern Punjab Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) coordinator Rashid Rehman Advocate and boycotted courts on Friday, Geo News reported.

While strongly condemning Rashid Rehman’s murder, Vice-Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Chaudhry Ramzan announced a complete strike throughout the country and demanded the government to arrest Rehman’s killers. He also urged the lawyer fraternity to hold protest meetings in Bar Rooms of their respective Bar Associations to condemn the tragic incident.

Following the announcement, lawyers in Pakistan went on strike on Thursday to mourn their colleague’s target killing for defending a university lecturer accused of blasphemy, the latest killing linked to the controversial law.

Earlier, his funeral prayers was held at the GPO Ground and hundreds of civil society, rights activists, journalists, political workers took part in the funeral prayers.

Rashid Rehman Advocate, his colleague Nadeem Pervaiz Advocate, and Saeed Baloch were sitting in the HRCP office on Wednesday evening when two young assailants entered the office and sprayed them with bullets, leaving Rashid Rehman critically injured. He died on way to the hospital. Nadeem and Saeed were also injured and their condition is stated to be out of danger. After the autopsy, the body was handed over to the family.

The deceased had received five bullets, the autopsy report revealed.

Meanwhile, the Chyalyak police have registered the case (306/14) under sections 302, 324 of the PPC and 7ATA against two unidentified people. No arrest could be made so far. The rights activists said that the police had avoided nominating the people indicated by the slain lawyer in his application sent to the Multan CPO. They said that the police should include his application in the FIR.

A large number of civil society activists have strongly condemned the murder of Rashid Rehman and demanded the government immediately arrest the culprits.

It is the latest high-profile killing linked to Pakistan’s strict laws against defaming Islam, which rights campaigners say are often used to settle personal disputes. Co-Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) former President Asif Ali Zardari, Patron-In-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have also denounced the assassination of human rights activist in Multan on Wednesday.

The HRCP was deeply grieved at the killing of its Multan Task Force coordinator, Rashid Rehman Advocate, a press release stated on Thursday.

The HRCP statement said Rashid was a committed rights activist and lawyer and had been associated with HRCP for over twenty years.

The European Union (EU) delegation to Pakistan on Thursday deplored Rashid Rehman’s killing.