Pakistan: Lawyer alleges to have been beaten up for taking on army chief

Islamabad: A Pakistani lawyer has accused the military of sending thugs to beat him up after he challenged the army chief in court. Inam Ur Raheem, a retired military lawyer, says three vehicles surrounded his taxi on Wednesday night in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Several unidentified men jumped out and attacked him with sticks, leaving him with cuts and bruises.

He claimed they said they were there to teach him a lesson. Raheem says the attack came a day after he filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court challenging the validity of a three-year extension given to army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in 2010.

The army denied any role in the attack Friday, calling Raheem's allegations baseless. The New York Times first reported the attack on Thursday.

Inam Ur Raheem says the attack came a day after he filed a petition against the army chief in the Islamabad High Court.

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