Senior lawyer, wife shot dead in Nowshera

NOWSHERA: Senior lawyer and former president of Islamic Lawyers Forum Shaukat Ali Khan advocate and his wife were shot dead by their rivals in the district on Wednesday.

Shujaatullah, a resident of Kheshgi Payan and nephew of the slain lawyer, told the police that his uncle Shaukat Ali Khan advocate and his wife Rehana Yasmin were coming to their home situated at ASC Colony in Nowshera Cantt in a car after attending a funeral prayer at Hamza Rashaka.

He said that when they reached Godam Pul near Nawan Nehr his rivals Zafar and Irfan, who were in waiting, opened indiscriminate fire on them.

As a result, both the husband and wife were killed on the spot. He said that the accused fled the scene after committing the crime. The complainant told the police that Shaukat Ali advocate had a property dispute with the accused, who were also relatives of the slain persons.

The police started and investigation after registration of a double murder case in the Risalpur Police Station under sections 302,427/34 against the accused. District Police Officer Muhammad Iqbal said that he had tasked Superintendent of Police (investigation) Khankhel Khan and SP Cantt Waqas Rafiq with to probing the case on scientific lines.

Shaukat Ali was a lawyer, who also remained a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and District Bar, Nowshera.

Meanwhile a large number of people, including lawyers, retired judges and officials of the judiciary, attended the funeral prayers for the deceased.

District Bar Nowshera president Shahid Riaz Burki also announced a three-day mourning and boycott of courts in the district. He asked the police to arrest the accused and produce them in the court of law as soon as possible.

Our correspondent adds from Islamabad: Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Executive Committee Chairman Muhammad Faheem

Wali and Vice-Chairman Khushdil Khan on Wednesday strongly condemned the brutal murder of Shaukat Ali Khan Advocate in Nowshera.

In a statement, issued here, they condemned the brutal murder of Shaukat Ali Khan, former member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, ex-president, District Bar Association, Nowshera and a senior lawyer, along with his wife in a broad daylight occurrence and extended their condolences with the bereaved family.

They questioned the pathetic law and order situation and gross failure of the state and law enforcement agencies to provide security to the citizens in general and lawyers community in particular. They demanded of the government to arrest the accused immediately and bring them to justice otherwise lawyers fraternity will be forced to enforce their genuine demands through peaceful protests.