Former Chief Justice Shot Dead In Terrorist Attack In Pakistan

A former high court chief justice of Pakistan's Balochistan province was shot dead outside a mosque on Friday, police officials said.

The former chief justice of Pakistan's Balochistan province was shot dead on Friday, police officials said.

Asif Halim, Kharan Police Director, said the assailants shot Mohammad Noor Maskanzai outside the mosque in Kharan district, seriously injuring him.

The report stated that the former chief justice was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Balochistan Prime Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizingo expressed his condolences on the death of the "courageous judge" and said his services were "unforgettable".

"The cowardly attacks of the enemies of peace cannot frighten the nation," Bizingo said.

Maskanzai authored the landmark ruling that declared the usury-based banking system to be in contravention of Sharia.

Quetta Bar Association President Ajmal Khan Kakkar also condemned Muskanzai's murder.

He said every Pakistani citizen is deeply saddened by the death of the former judge.

"We strongly condemn this incident and demand that the killers be arrested immediately and brought to justice," Dawn quoted Ajmal Kakkar as saying.

This comes amid the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's Minister of State for Law Shahadat Hussain admitted that terrorist activities had seen a sharp increase.

An official in Islamabad said the highest number of terrorist incidents in Pakistan this year was recorded in September.

A think-tank based think tank noted the resumption of outlawed Pakistani Taliban attacks.

The Dawn newspaper said in an earlier report quoting the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) that the number of terrorist attacks increased in September compared to August this year.

September saw 42 terrorist attacks, an increase of 35 percent compared to August.

The Pakistan think tank also noted a 106 percent increase in violence in the former Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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