LAHORE, Jan 9: A 70-year-old Supreme Court lawyer was gunned down by unidentified people, in what police believed a target killing, at his doorstep in G-Block of Gulshan-i-Ravi on Monday.

The motive for the attack was thought to be some old enmity as the victim's elder brother and a nephew were murdered in the past.

All bar associations and councils announced a country-wide strike for Tuesday (today).

Iqbal Town SP (Operation) Abdul Ghaffar Qaisarani told Dawn that senior advocate Nasrullah Warraich reached his home in the evening. A few moments later his servant informed him that some people had come to see him.

The servant also told his employer that one of the visitors who identified himself as Shahid of Sahiwal was saying that he wanted to get some papers signed.

As Warraich came out of the house, one of the suspects fired a single bullet from point-blank range and fled. Warraich, who suffered a fatal bullet to his forehead, was rushed to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital where he was reportedly pronounced dead. A large number of lawyers gathered at the hospital soon after the incident.

The SF said a detailed investigation had been launched.

Warraich, a father of three, was the chairman of executive committee of Pakistan Bar Council. IIis one son Tahir Nasrullah Warraich is a high court lawyer and member of Punjab Bar Council. A source privy to the investigation said Nasrullah and his son Tahir enjoyed relations with assassinated Punjab additional advocate general Arif Bhinder and police had included this aspect in investigation.

IIe said Warraich had history of enmities and police were gathering detailed information to probe the case. IIe said Warraich's nephew and elder brother were murdered in different incidents in Sargodha.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar, Punjab Bar Council and Lahore Bar Association will also observe strike.