ISLAMABAD, 13 January 2007 — The Additional Advocate General of Punjab Chaudhry Arif Bhinder, his brother, nephew and guards were gunned down by unknown assailants in Lahore yesterday. Bhinder, his brother Kashif and nephew Muhammad Waseem, were on their way home from the Lahore High Court when the gunmen ambushed their car.
According to eyewitnesses, Bhinder’s guards, who were in another jeep, fired back at the attackers. Four guards and one of the assailants were killed.
Several passersby were also wounded during the attack. Two of the injured passersby were identified as Joseph and Fayyaz Ali.
Another report said Bhinder, 44, was dropping off his children, 5 and 7, at school with his brother before heading to court when gunmen opened fire on his car.
Imtiaz Habib, an area police chief said, “Apparently, Bhinder was targeted by his rivals because he had enmity with a family in Lahore, where the attack happened, but officers are still investigating.” Habib said Bhinder had also survived an assassination attempt last year, and at the time he had blamed his rivals for it.
Thousands of lawyers at the Lahore High Court and sessions and district courts staged rallies to protest the killing. They demanded immediate arrest of those responsible for Bhinder’s murder.
Pakistan, UAE Oppose Use of Force Against Iran
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have called for a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear standoff. The two countries have opposed the use of force saying it would destabilize the region. During a meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan discussed regional and bilateral situation and agreed that regional peace and security depended on peaceful resolution of regional issues. They felt that use of force against Iran would destabilize the region.
They decided to promote their trade, commerce and investment relations. UAE has invested in various important sectors in Pakistan including aviation, banking, hotel industry, telecommunications, shipping and education.
Prime Minister Aziz has called for UAE investments in Gwadar. The UAE president appreciated Pakistan’s role in the war against terror and its moves to normalize relations with India.
