Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial has termed the killing of veteran lawyer, politician and former president of SCBA Abdul Latif Afridi a big loss, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The chief justice expressed these remarks during hearing of a case in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. 

CJP Bandial said that slain Afridi was a towering personality. He inquired of lawyer Iftikhar Gilani whether Afridi belonged to Kohat. The lawyer replied that he hailed from the Frontier Region. 

The chief justice of Pakistan went on to say that he was sad when he heard that Mr Afridi was killed in the bar room. “It’s a very tragic incident,’ the CJP added.

PBC announces countrywide strike 

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Bar Council has given a countrywide strike call for today to condemn the gruesome murder of the veteran lawyer and former president of Supreme Court Bar Association.  

The protest call was given by PBC Vice Chairman Hafizur Rehman and other officials. 

The Punjab Bar Council and Lahore High Court Bar have also decided to not appear in courts today in order to register their protest against the killing.

The bars demanded of the authorities to give exemplary punishment to the murderer. 

Mr Afridi remained at the forefront of the struggle for the rights of the community and played a key role in the lawyers’ movement in 2007. 

He had also remained the vice chairman and a member of the Pakistan Bar Council.

He was killed during firing inside the Peshawar High Court (PHC) bar room on Monday by a colleague who shot him six times while dressed in full judicial robes, according to police and a witness.

Mr Afridi was lounging with co-workers in a break room at Peshawar High Court when he was killed 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, said.

The gunman who claimed that he had a feud with Afridi fired six shots at 79-year-old lawyer’s chest from less than a foot away.

Namaz-i-Janaza offered

The Namaz-i-Janaza of Latif Afridi was offered at Hayatabad in Peshawar on Tuesday.

A large number of people including important personalities attended the funeral prayers.

Reporters Imanat Gishkori, Malik Ashraf and Amir Shahzad