LAHORE: Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, President, Pakistan Ittehad Party and former leader of the Pakistan Democratic Party, was shot dead here this afternoon [Dec 20] near the Punjab Assembly Chambers, when some hooligans fired upon his party as he was returning home at the end of Air Marshal Asghar Khan’s procession to observe “black day”. Shortly afterwards the Punjab Government announced that processions have been completely banned in the provincial capital from tomorrow. Governor Khar also ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of Khawaja Sahib by a judge of the Lahore High Court. … Air Marshal Asghar Khan called for a complete hartal in Lahore ... to protest against the assassination of Khawaja Rafique. A similar call was made … by 11 political parties... . Earlier Mian Tufail Muhammad, chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami … said today that civil war could not be far off if the ruling People’s Party did not change its present attitude immediately. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Rawalpindi,] the Central Cabinet has app­roved in principle that all Pakistanis over the age of 18 years should have identity cards. Admi­nis­trative arrangements are being made for taking photographs for identity cards at low cost.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2022