Leading Pakistan lawyer shot dead by colleague at high court

A top lawyer was murdered at a Pakistan high court on Monday by a colleague who shot him six times while dressed in full judicial robes, police and a witness said.

Abdul Latif Afridi - former president of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association - was lounging with coworkers in a break room at Peshawar High Court when he was slain in an apparent grudge attack.

"The killer, a junior lawyer who was wearing his gown, opened fire at close range and then handed himself over to the police," Ijaz Khan, a senior police official in Peshawar, told AFP.

The gunman fired six shots at 79-year-old Afridi's chest from less than a foot (30 centimetres) away, eyewitness and legal assistant Muhammad Rizwan told AFP.

CCTV footage:
Abdul Latif Afridi, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, was lounging with co-workers in a break room at Peshawar high court when he was killed in an apparent grudge attack. pic.twitter.com/TEGSAiL6V8

— HewadPress (@HewadPress) January 16, 2023

According to Rizwan, as the gunman surrendered to police, he said: "Don't shoot, I had a feud with him and I have taken my revenge."

Afridi - who also served in the national assembly in the 1990s - was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to police.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Afridi in a statement as "a seasoned jurist and a brave politician who was known for his righteousness".

Devastated to learn of the passing away of Latif Afridi Sb after he was attacked in Peshawar earlier today. Shocked. Hard to believe he is no more. He was our teacher, our mentor, our guide. He was family. No words can be enough to express our grief. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/RWCL1h0EoN

— Khushal Khan (@Khushal_Khattak) January 16, 2023

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a rugged northwestern province bordering Afghanistan and populated by tribal groups often feuding over land and honour.

Police said there was a case pending against the slain lawyer alleging his involvement in the murder of the father of the man arrested for gunning him down on Monday afternoon.

Adnan Khan Afridi, the man in police custody, is distantly related to the slain veteran lawyer.