Lawyer accuses Pakistani intel of threats

A retired Pakistani military lawyer says the country's intelligence agencies are threatening him to stop his legal challenges against the military. Col. Inam ul-Rahiem, who has been representing "missing persons," accused the agencies of attacking him and his 19-year-old son to convince him to stop doing so, the BBC said. He said he was injured and that his son was beaten up and his car set on fire by armed men near the army headquarters in Rawalpindi during the weekend. The Pakistani army denied the allegations and called them "baseless," the report said. The BBC said families of those who have allegedly disappeared say they are being held by the intelligence agencies. Rahiem told the BBC police refused to register his case about the assaults on him and his son. "The attacks were a message to dissuade me from pursuing court cases against the illegal actions of the army leadership," said Rahiem, who taught military law to officers for 27 years. An organization of retired Pakistani military officers, in which Rahiem is a member, has condemned the attacks, the report said. Some people described Rahiem as a religiously-minded maverick lawyer, but he was quoted as saying he is fighting for the rule of law, the BBC said.