US urges Pak to probe lawyer's killing for defending blasphemy accused

The United States has called on Pakistan to investigate the killing of a lawyer.

Lawyer Rashid Rehman was shot dead for defending a university lecturer accused of blasphemy under strict laws against defaming Islam.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the US was deeply saddened by the murder of Rehman, an attorney and human rights defender in Pakistan.

Psaki added that US encourages Pakistani authorities, urging the South Asia nation to swiftly investigate this crime and bring to justice those responsible, Dawn News reports.

According to the report, gunmen stormed Rehman's office late Wednesday and started firing indiscriminately, killing him and injuring two others.