OUR STAFF REPORTER LAHORE Falling in line with the people in other parts the country, hundreds of lawyers of the Lahore High Court Bar here on Friday offered in absentia funeral prayer of Osama bin Laden, head of Alqaeda organisation, who was killed by the US Seals at his Abbottabad compound on May 2. The in absentia funeral prayer was offered at the Lahore High Court Bar Association compound wherein members of Khatam-e-Nabovat Lawyers Forum and Al-Uma Lawyers forum, Peace Lawyers Forum, Islamic Lawyers Movement, Jammu Kashmir Vukala Mahaz among others also took part. Muhammad Yahya Johar of Khatam-e-Nabovat Lawyers Forum led the prayer. The prominent participants included former judges Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, Mian Shahid Iqbal, Punjab Bar Council members Ch Zulfiqar and Latif Sara, senior lawyers AK Dogar, Rai Nawaz Kharral and others. They also addressed the participants and demanded to declare Usama Shaheed-e-Umat as he lost his life during Jihad. They said if Osama was a terrorist, the authorities should have brought him before the law. The lawyers on the occasion also chanted slogans in support of Osama and said with his death the spirit of jihad in Muslims had not come to an end. Speaking to the gathering on the occasion, advocate AK Dogra, Jamil Ahmad Faizim, Ch Zulfiqar Ahmad and others while addressing America said that people of every class are with Osama therefore he must not be considered without following. They said for the whole Ummah, Osama is a martyr and describing him as antagonist of American terrorism throughout the world. They said with the death of Osama, the movement launched by him would pick up momentum. They termed US action in Abbottabad a blatant violation of Pakistan sovereignty and wanted the government to openly and strongly speak against it. They said Pakistan has to live with respect and dignity in the world as such the government must give befitting response to those who were attacking our independence and sovereignty.