Pakistan’s Muslim lawyers threaten anyone defending murdered Christian girl

(February 08, 2010) In Pakistan, a powerful lawyers’ association has threatened to ‘burn alive” anyone who will defend the case of a murdered minor Christian girl. 12-year old Shazia Bashir, from a very poor Catholic family who worked as a servant for Chaudry Muhammad Naeem, a rich lawyer in Lahore, died on Jan. 22, reportedly after being raped and tortured by her employer. According to the Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) a Pakistani Christian association that provides free legal assistance, no Christian or Muslim lawyer is ready to take on the defence of Bashir, after the threat from the powerful Lahore Bar Association. Naeem, the accused, is a former president of the bar association. CLAAS denounced that access to the courtroom where the court hearings were held against the accused was denied, because a group of Muslim lawyers prevented entry. CLAAS, that has been fighting for the rights of the poorest and marginalized groups has been threatened by thousands of lawyer-friends of Neem. M. Joseph Francis, director of CLAAS, asked members of civil society, political and religious leaders to rise up and take steps to "condemn this new form of terrorism" by lawyers who "should ensure justice."