Rifaqatullah Razarwal

Pashtun political leaders and human rights activists have termed the death of the late Advocate Abdul Lateef Afridi, also fondly called Lala, as a great loss for the Pashtun nation, democracy, and human rights.

A reference was organized in Nishter Hall Peshawar yesterday regarding the life and struggle of Advocate Latif Afridi wherein hundreds of elites of different political parties, civil society, students, and women participated and paid tribute to the departed soul.

Abdul Latif Afridi was shot dead in the Peshawar High Court bar room on January 16, the police arrested the accused Adnan Samiullah Afridi on the charge of his murder.

Speaking to TNN, the organizer of the event and advocate of Peshawar High Court, Advocate Tariq Afghan, said that Latif Lala was a universal personality, he was not only the leader of the oppressed, helpless, farmers and workers, but students also considered him as their leader.

Also Read: Lateef Lala fell prey to the blood feud with distant relatives 

Tariq said, Lala has always fought for the supremacy of the constitution, law, and democracy and we will carry on his mission.

‘Lala used to walk with a stick, during the lawyers’ movement against Musharraf, he led the lawyers from the same province where Musharraf’s agents ran over him in Islamabad, which affected him, but still, he never showed weakness or fright in facing the oppressors.

He said that the void created by Lala’s death will never be filled, but the purpose of such conferences is to remember all aspects of his life.

On this occasion, leaders of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Safdar Awan, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Pir Noorul Haq Qadri of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Farhatullah Babar of Pakistan People’s Party, Mian Iftikhar Hussain of Awami National Party, Haji Ghulam Bilour, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement chief Manzoor Pashteen, Ali Wazir and National Democratic Movement Chairman Mohsin Daur were also present.

Human rights activists described Latif Lala as an example of courage and bravery, saying that he had never bowed down to any tyrant.

Civil society member Nazeef Hashtangari told TNN that he has known Latif Lala since 1973, he has always raised his voice for the oppressed class and never compromised on their constitutional and democratic rights.

Nazeef Hashtangari considers his death as a conspiracy, ‘before his death he was planning to call a big jirga of Pashtuns, so I consider this murder as a conspiracy,’ he alleged.

“This attack is similar to the attack on the house of the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court. Now the Chief Justice should conduct a transparent investigation through a judicial inquiry and the lawyers should stand up. We will try our darndest to fulfill the wishes of Latif Lala,” Nazeef said.

He said that the lawyers, politicians, and civil society at the conference passed the resolution and vowed that they will call an international conference next time to discuss the resources, and rights of Pashtuns and advance the mission of Latif Lala.

Who was Latif Lala?

Abdul Latif Afridi (Latif Lala) was a lawyer and Pashtun politician, and among the main leaders of the National Democratic Movement at the time.

He was also the President and General Secretary of Awami National Party Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a member of the National Assembly.

Latif Lala, born in 1943 in the Tirah area of the Khyber district, completed his law degree in Peshawar in 1966.

In 1979, he joined the Pakistan National Party under the leadership of Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo and was appointed as the head of the Party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter.

Latif Lala has been elected President of the Peshawar High Court Bar five times and has also been the Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council.

He was the President of the Peshawar High Court Bar and the head of the lawyers’ section of the Awami National Party and was elected the President of the Peshawar High Court five times and played an important role in the lawyers’ movement.