A senior lawyer, Balakh Sher Khosa, son of former Governor of Punjab Latif Khosa, was attacked at his residence in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase 6 late Saturday night in what he describes as an armed assault involving gunfire and death threats linked to an earlier incident in 2023.
According to him, the incident took place shortly after he returned home from a gathering connected to a Lahore District Bar election campaign. He stated that around 12:15 am on May 17, the electricity supply to his residence was abruptly cut, triggering the home security alarm while guard dogs began barking.
He added that he and his family moved to the rooftop, where they observed two armed men on motorcycles positioned outside the house. He further stated that shots were fired towards the residence, with the assailants also attempting to force entry and issuing threats referencing the 2023 attack, saying he would not survive this time.
An FIR bearing was subsequently lodged at DHA Phase 6 Police Station under sections 506-B and 337-H(2) of the Pakistan Penal Code, with references also made to attempted murder and trespassing allegations.
Speaking to The Friday Times, Balakh Sher Khosa alleged that the same individuals involved in the 2023 attack were behind the latest incident. He said those accused had still not been arrested despite the earlier case being registered.
Khosa was previously targeted in January 2023 in Lahore’s Iqbal Town area, where he was reportedly shot at by unidentified assailants. Following that attack, then Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had provided him security protection, which Khosa claims was withdrawn in recent months.
The Lahore Bar Association strongly condemned the alleged attack during an executive committee meeting chaired by its president, Irfan Hayat Bajwa.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the association said lawyers were increasingly becoming targets of violence and intimidation. The bar leadership expressed concern that despite the 2023 incident and continuing threats, adequate security measures had not been ensured for Khosa and his family.
The association demanded that the Inspector General of Punjab Police and the Capital City Police Officer Lahore immediately arrest those responsible, conduct a transparent investigation, and provide full security to Khosa and his family.
The statement also noted that the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan had previously written to Punjab authorities in 2023 seeking a thorough probe into the earlier attack on Khosa, describing the matter as one of grave concern.