Home Latest News Hundreds Rally as Mumtaz Qadri Appeals Sentence

Hundreds Rally as Mumtaz Qadri Appeals Sentence

by AFP
Aamir Qureshi—AFP

Aamir Qureshi—AFP

The defense team of Salmaan Taseer’s killer includes two judges and he has attracted support from extremist groups.

Mumtaz Qadri appealed on Tuesday against his death sentence for murdering Salmaan Taseer, as hundreds rallied outside the court to show support.

Qadri was sentenced for killing Taseer outside an upmarket coffee shop in Islamabad in 2011. The former bodyguard has admitted shooting Taseer, saying he objected to the politician’s calls to reform strict blasphemy laws, which can carry the death penalty.

Around 300 of Qadri’s supporters chanted slogans calling for his release as a two-judge bench at Islamabad High Court began hearing the appeal.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, and Qadri’s actions have made him a “hero” to many conservatives eager to drown out any calls to soften the legislation.

At his original trial, Qadri was showered with rose petals by some lawyers. His current appeal team features two judges, including the former chief justice of the Lahore High Court.

Outside the court, protesters wearing shirts with the logo of religious movement Pakistan Sunni Tehreek shouted “The lock of the prison will break, Qadri will be released!” and “Be ashamed, release Qadri!”

Malik Muhammad Safeer, Qadri’s brother, urged his release. “My brother has done nothing wrong. He is happy and satisfied in the prison and always prays to God. Salmaan Taseer was killed because he committed blasphemy,” he claimed.

Defense lawyers said they expect the appeal to be decided within weeks.

Pakistan lifted a moratorium on executions in terror cases in December after Taliban gunmen massacred 150 people at a school. But executing someone convicted of murdering a “blasphemer” would risk a backlash from hardline religious groups. After Qadri was convicted in 2011, dozens of furious lawyers ransacked the courtroom of the judge who had sentenced him to death.

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7 comments

Bachi February 3, 2015 - 8:22 pm

This is a sick society. There is no redemption for them. They have failed to evolve from the stone ages. I am sure the holy prophet would never approve of what these people are doing. I am embarrassed and so should any half decent muslim be.
Qadri’ beliefs should have nothing to do with how he is judged. He is a petty criminal who is also a murderer and should be treated as one.
Hang him as other criminals have been executed. This law of the jungle is what is holding sn otherwise decent society, hostage.

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umer hassan February 4, 2015 - 11:39 am

very shameful we are i am ashamed of being Pakistani. he should be hanged

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syed irfan gilani February 4, 2015 - 3:42 pm

May allha knows each and every thing.

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irshad February 4, 2015 - 6:38 pm

This is terrible. He needs to be hanged by the military courts. If he is released then it would b a sad day for us all. The militairy war on terror has to address this issue as by not addressing it is giving them space to terririse the nation

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Raazia Syed February 6, 2015 - 12:03 pm

The day when Mr salman Taseer was shot dead by an extremist named mumtaz qadri , was also black day . when there is no law and no law enforcement agencies , these horrible incidents mostly occur ,General Zia ul Haq was the only person who established many jihad camps and thousands terrorists in the name of Islam , likewise this person has also used name of Islam but unfortunately he defamed our religion , he killed an innocent person who never disgraced Holy Prophet , he didn’t pass any comment on law of blasphemy,. Salman s view was that this particular law is not being used for right , through the wrong usage of this law we are creating more problems for our non Muslim community .I demand the Government to hang this extremist person , who is trying to become hero , these type of persons are not our hero but culprits .

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Zarif Ahmad February 22, 2015 - 10:02 am

There is no such thing in Islam as “the Blasphemy Laws” it was just framed by Gen. Zia for his Interior Motives. Give me just a single example from the life Span of the Holy Prophet SAW, when with his permission a single blasphemer was punished, while there are not shortage of events when illiterate and ignorant Bedouins, prejudiced Jews and hypocrites has not disgraced رحمۃ ا للعا العلمین ﷺ and return, they have received, but Mercy Grace and honor___Such was the golden Character of our beloved Lord, حضرت محمد ﷺ Please invoke درود شریف upon him abundantly.
These terrorist deserved no Mercy at all, and must be hanged, for to eradicate Pakistani Society From the clutches of extremism.
Zarif Ahmad

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Zarif Ahmad (@abu_nouman) February 23, 2015 - 11:45 pm

In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious Ever Merciful
THE BLASPHEMY LAWS IN PAKISTAN
During the tenure of the Field Marshal President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan, the country of Pakistan had a place among the Civilized and highly developing Countries of the World. When in 1961 President Ayub Khan visited US, the US President John F. Kennedy Himself to Airport to Receive the President of Pakistan for a worm and historic Welcome.
Unfortunately East Pakistan felled into Bangladesh, and Pakistan took a new Start as a Democratic Country Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhotto was the head of Government of Pakistan, who did the first blunder, under the pressure of Shah Faisal of Saudi Arabia, he declared the Ahmadiyya Muslim community for the sake of constitution as non-Muslim that gave an upper hand to the Clergy of Pakistan.
General Zia over threw the Democratic Government of Mr. Bhotto and declared Marshal Law in the country, for gaining cheap popularity, he took a number of steps, he started so called the process of Islamization in the country, introduced the blasphemy Laws in the country, an other blunder, promulgated Anty-Ahmadiyya Ordinance, Starting an Era of Dark Ages, On the State Level persecution of Ahmadies, the Ahmadies were behind the bar just because of their beliefs, the blasphemy Laws were framed with an interior Motives, under the law the punishment for blasphemy was death, on the wrong pretext the cases of blasphemy were started registering and hence more upper hands were given to the Clergy, that started the new Era of Extremism. A Paradise like country, became a living Hell, many many extremist religious organization originated, who killed about 50 thousand to 60 thousand civilian as well as Military forces were killed, now every faction of Pakistani Society suffered and grieved, after Ahmadies the next Target and brutal target of Terrorist is the Shiah community and all other minorities of the country, reluctantly war on Terrorist startedand it is going on and on….
The blasphemy Laws are being used for vested interest on false charges and for political gains, as I have said they have no place in Islam, their origin, however in the Holy Bible, the whole life span of the Prophet of the Islam محسن انسانیت حضرت محمد مصطفے ﷺ is witness over it that there is no such thing in the Islam as ‘Blasphemy Laws’ Governor of the Punjab Mr. Sulman Taseer Shaheed was Assassinated because of this law, a poor Christen lady who is the mother of three children, is behind the war and waiting for her judicial murder, the killer of the Governor has become so called Hero of the Nation, and the Minorities are under life threat, even charges are sometimes registered against the people of Majority faction of Pakistan, Hence the peace has been disappeared form whole of the Pakistani Society. Hence sooner to get rid of this blasphemy Laws, the Better it is
Zarif Ahmad

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