11/11/2025
In Honour of
Shaheed Zubair Ghuman Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan
He had just achieved what every lawyer in Pakistan dreams of the licence to practice before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Advocate Zubair Ghuman, a quiet and hardworking professional, received his Supreme Court licence only hours before his death. Still dressed in his black coat, he became one of the victims of the terrorist attack at the District Judicial Complex in Islamabad’s G-11 sector, where a powerful suicide blast claimed at least twelve lives and injured more than two dozen.
The explosion ripped through the court premises just as hearings were under way. Among the dead were lawyers, court staff and citizens who had come to seek justice all caught in the same tragedy.
Zubair Ghuman was known among his colleagues for his calm nature and professional discipline. Friends recall him as “a lawyer who never raised his voice, only his arguments.” His sudden death, on the very day he reached the highest level of professional recognition, has left the legal community in shock and mourning.
“He died in uniform a symbol of law and duty,” said a fellow lawyer outside the Islamabad Bar Room, eyes heavy with disbelief. “He had just achieved his dream.”
This attack is not an isolated event. Pakistan’s legal fraternity has repeatedly found itself on the frontlines of violence from Quetta to Islamabad, from targeted killings to courthouse explosions. Lawyers, judges and court staff continue to serve the justice system under constant threat. The black coat, once a mark of dignity, has too often turned into a mark of vulnerability.
The courts, meant to be places of fairness and reason, have become scenes of fear. Every such attack is not only an assault on individuals but on the very idea of justice.
The legal community now demands action, not condolences. Bar Councils and Associations across the country have urged the government to strengthen security at all courts and judicial complexes. There is growing pressure for a Justice Actors Protection Framework, ensuring secure entry points, surveillance systems, and coordination between law enforcement and Bar representatives.
If lawyers, judges, and prosecutors cannot feel safe while defending others, then no citizen can truly feel safe seeking justice.
How long will lawyers continue to work in unsafe courts?
Will the Bars unite, beyond politics, to demand real protection for their members?
What steps will be taken to prevent such attacks in future?
Who will be held accountable for repeated security failures?
When will Pakistan finally recognise its lawyers and judges as defenders of the State, not just participants in it?
Advocate Zubair Ghuman reached the peak of his profession and fell the same day, a reminder that those who uphold justice often stand unprotected in its path. His name should not fade into statistics; it should be remembered as a call to conscience for the nation and its institutions.
May his soul rest in peace. May his sacrifice awaken our duty to protect those who protect others.
(Sharafat Ali Chaudhry, Advocate)
