The Express Tribune

Shahbaz Taseer freed at last

agencies — Wed, 09 Mar 16 03:33:34 +0500

Assassinated Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s son was recovered by security forces and intelligence sleuths from suburban Quetta Tuesday evening, nearly five years after he was seized by gunmen from a posh neighourhood of Lahore. “Shahbaz Taseer has been freed,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told lawmakers in the upper house of parliament. “I have just received the information,” he said, but did not say how he was recovered. Shahbaz Taseer recovered from Balochistan after five years in captivity The Frontier Corps said Shahbaz was freed in a joint operation by paramilitary troops and intelligence agents from Al Saleem hotel in Kuchlak area. It was an intelligence-based operation which did not yield any arrest, and there was no confrontation with the captors either, said FC spokesperson Khan Wassey. “We didn’t find anyone [in the hotel]. A single person was there and he told us, ‘my name is Shahbaz and my father’s name is Salmaan Taseer’,” Aitzaz Goraya, the head of the Counter-Terrorism Department of Balochistan, told the media. “He is in feeble health.” According to provincial government’s spokesperson Anwarul Haq Kakar, the raid was carried out between 4 to 5pm in Kuchlak, 25 kilometres north of Quetta. “Shahbaz Taseer is in safe hands now,” Kakar said. “He has spoken to his family by phone. We are making arrangements to send him to his home in Lahore.” Shahbaz’s recovery came just over a week after his father’s self-confessed assassin Mumtaz Qadri was hanged in a Rawalpindi jail. At the time, Shabaz’s brother Shehryar wrote on popular microblogging website Twitter that Qadri’s hanging was a victory for Pakistan, but not his family. “The safe return of my brother is the only victory my family wants,” he wrote. Shahbaz was abducted at gunpoint from the Gulberg area of Lahore on August 26, 2011, months after his father was assassinated by Qadri for opposing the blasphemy laws. The silver Mercedes Kompressor (LZT-1) Shahbaz was driving was intercepted by an SUV and a motorcycle on MM Alam Road, hardly 600 yards away from his office. Gunmen dragged him out of the jeep and took him away. Twitter expresses gratitude after Shahbaz Taseer returns from captivity He was reportedly driven by his kidnappers to the Waziristan tribal region where Taliban militants and their foreign cohorts held sway. The family oscillated between hope and fear amid disturbing media reports. At one point some media outlets reported that Shahbaz was killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan Agency. Then reports emerged that the captors wanted to swap him with Qadri and some militants. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the banned umbrella of militant groups, has never officially confirmed its involvement in the kidnapping, but a militant source told AFP on Tuesday that Operation Zarb-e-Azb had made it ‘difficult’ for the group to keep him. “That’s why they preferred to set him free,” the source added. A second militant source said the TTP had been demanding up to Rs2 billion for Shahbaz’s release. Security analyst Imtiaz Gul said it was possible a ransom had been paid and that Shahbaz had been abandoned by his abductors once they received the money. The TTP “is a group of mercenaries with clear links to organised crime”, he added. Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri appreciated the security forces for the successful raid. “Shahbaz Taseer’s safe recovery has proved that our security forces are determined to wipe out terrorism.” Shahbaz Taseer abducted from Lahore Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, whose own son Ali Haider Gilani was also kidnapped by militants in May 2013, said: “It is a very big day for the Taseer family.” He added: “After this release, I am very hopeful that my own son will be freed.” Gilani said the Taliban had conveyed him that they had abducted his son to avenge the military operation in Swat under the previous PPP government. Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2016.

The law upheld

editorial — Thu, 08 Oct 15 18:57:44 +0500

The decision to uphold the death sentence for Mumtaz Qadri is being viewed by some analysts and commentators as a step in the maturation process of Pakistani state and society. The Supreme Court has struck down a plea which was seeking to revoke the death sentence awarded for the murder of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. The death sentence was first awarded by an anti-terrorism court and then challenged on grounds that are now determined as unsupportable. The Supreme Court further announced a short order restoring the order of the anti-terrorism court. Analysis to the effect that the Court order is somehow an indicator of the maturity of Pakistani state and society may perhaps be premature. The lawyers for Qadri were satisfied that he committed no offence by killing Mr Taseer — and there are, unfortunately, significant numbers of people who agree with that perspective. Indeed, lawyers themselves pelted Qadri with flower petals at one of his early court appearances and some religious groups have expressed similar sympathy for him. However, the Supreme Court decision does speak clearly and emphatically for the rule of law. The rule of law has to be paramount even if individuals and institutions disagree with it — and while this newspaper does not support the death penalty, it does support and respect the rule of law. The decision also speaks of the courage of the members of the superior judiciary who in making this decision are quite possibly putting their own lives at hazard. For too long, individuals and courts have been bullied into silence owing to the influence of violent extremists. This landmark decision signifies that we can’t allow such elements to dictate terms any longer and stifle debate on important matters. Mr Taseer had broken no law, not been charged or indicted, but Qadri decided that he was to be judge, jury and executioner. As the Supreme Court correctly observed at an earlier hearing “that way lies chaos”. It does, and the Supreme Court judged wisely. Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2015. Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

Salman Taseer’s assassin: PTI MNA ruffles feathers, demands Qadri’s acquittal

azam.khan — Fri, 21 Jun 13 04:45:13 +0500

Deviating from his party line, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) surprised his colleagues in the lower house including his party when he demanded the government release former Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s murderer. Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the elite police commando in Taseer’s personal security, had gunned him down in Islamabad’s uptown market in January 2011. “I demand that Malik Mumtaz Qadri be freed immediately,” said PTI MNA from Mardan, Mujahid Ali who triggered a buzz in the house after concluding his statement. Speaking on the budget, the PTI member did not elaborate on the reasons for his demand. Later, his party dissociated itself from his demand calling it an individual act. Another PTI MNA Arif Alvi clarified that Ali had made this demands in his personal capacity, and this had nothing to do with the party. “The party’s policy will remain under the country’s law and the Constitution,” said Alvi. Ali was elected to assembly from NA-11 Mardan-III. Talking to The Express Tribune Mujahid Ali said that he will not retract his statement and clearly conveyed this to his party leadership. PTI’s MNA Ali Muhammad Khan, who is also from Mardan, told The Express Tribune that the party cannot prevent a member from airing his personal opinion and therefore no action will be taken against Ali on the basis of his demand. PTI President Javed Hashmi said on Twitter in-connection with the party’s policy on Mumtaz Qadri’s Issue that, “PTI believes in Justice above all.” Nevertheless, there was no strong acknowledgement of Ali’s speech. During Thursday’s session, the members of the Lower House remained engaged in ridiculing each other, resulting in a bruising debate on the budget. Later in reference to Mujahid Ali’s demand for release of Qadri, a Pakistan People Party (PPP) MNA Sardar Kamal Chang said that within the democratic setup, only the Constitution will be followed for some mullahs and terrorists are trying to impose their version of Islam on us. “Stop it,” he emphasised, adding that we only follow Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and are not alarmed by anyone else. Kamal Chang held Ziaul Haq responsible for the country’s deplorable situation being confronted today. “The PPP members are small in number but we will not allow democracy to derail,” he added. Earlier in 2011, PTI chairman Imran Khan had condemned Qadri’s reception as a hero on the premises of the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi. “Extremism and radicalism have penetrated our society deeply,” he said, adding that it is primarily harmful for the youth of the nation. Qadri never argued that he had not killed Taseer. Shortly after he shot the late governor dead, Qadri revealed that Taseer’s apparent opposition to the country’s blasphemy law was his main motive. However, if the murder wasn’t shocking enough, it was the stringent defence put up by religious parties, whose activists showered rose petals on Qadri at his court hearing and brought him flowers on Valentine’s Day, including setting up Facebook pages in order to glorify him. Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2013.

A tribute to Salmaan Taseer

Sara Taseer — Thu, 30 May 13 18:32:59 +0500

I am very fortunate to have had Salmaan Taseer as my father. Although he is now at rest, I have found peace in knowing that his legacy will be etched indelibly in the history of Pakistan — a country he loved dearly enough to give his life for. His bold voice of truth, justice and sanity will forever resonate in the minds of millions. No bullets can erase his example and courage. Salmaan Taseer was a man of diverse interests and talents. He lived his life passionately and zestfully with one overriding condition — anything worth doing, must be done well. Unflinching and determined, he believed in excellence and accepted nothing less from himself and those around him. He had an innate ability to sift through the fuzziness of any situation and get to the key issues poignantly. His wit was razor sharp and he would skilfully use humour to bring out the focal points in any discussion, analyse it before most had hardly registered it! My father was also a true romantic at heart. He loved poetry, music, and stories — tales of great love, tragedy, heroism, legends of martyrdom and songs that touched the heart. He grew up in a literary home: his father MD Taseer, a well-known educationalist and poet, and his uncle, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, served as mentors. Unsurprisingly, he developed a passion for Urdu poetry; especially couplets that could make you shed tears. He was a man who relished all emotions life had to offer and lived his life to full capacity in almost every way. I marvelled at his ability to connect with a wide range of people — young and old, from varying backgrounds. It was his keen interest in people that resulted in voracious readings of autobiographies, as he hungered to learn from the successes of great men and women. This interest was also the basis for his love for politics and he never tired of engaging with people. My father was also an optimist — he never spent time wallowing in self-pity or bemoaning negative events in his life. Quite the opposite, he was vibrantly positive, ready to take on what life brought to him and upbeat even during difficult times. He pulled those around him along for the rides of their lives. As his eldest child, I consider myself privileged to have had him as a guide and role model. My memories of my upbringing are filled with his words and actions, a towering presence that was kind, gentle and staunchly protective, yet strong and persevering. From my earliest memories, I recall his strong interest in my development and education, and he was delighted when I earned an honours degree at the London School of Economics. He also always encouraged my hobbies – for example, when I was 13, seeing my passion and interest in cooking, he arranged to have a small kitchen built for me. My father was a purely self-made man, determined to succeed from a young age. Early on in life, he had to take on the responsibility of his family since his own father died when he was only six. At 16, he landed on the shores of Britain with many hopes and dreams but few resources. He started his articleship in accountancy, working during the day and studying by night, sometimes only having the money to buy bars of English chocolate for dinner. He qualified as an accountant and upon his return to the East, rapidly established an accounting firm partnering with the KPMG in the UAE and Pakistan in the 1970s — today, KPMG Taseer Hadi is one of the leading accounting firms in Pakistan. However, his true love was politics and he always yearned to serve his country. As a young student, he developed a great admiration for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and joined his party, whilst in his twenties. His association with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would last for the rest of his life-time. Growing up as a young girl, I remember my grandmother and mother typing and retyping manuscripts of the biography my father wrote on Bhutto. One of the darkest times I can remember in my childhood was the day Bhutto Sahib was executed; our home was in mourning for days. My father soon sold his successful accountancy business and joined politics in his thirties. As a steadfast opponent of military dictatorships, he campaigned tirelessly with the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy. At the age of 50, my father left politics to start a business. Politics had drained his resources, and he needed to establish financial security. When it came to business, he was a visionary and a true entrepreneur. Having myself just returned from college, I worked with my father to set up First Capital Securities. Within months, we had outgrown our newly-refurbished offices on Davis road in Lahore, and foreign investors had taken a stake in the company. It was always difficult to keep pace with him. During the early days of business in Karachi, I remember he used to call me at 6:30am every morning to plan for the day. I had to work hard to meet his expectation. In business, he was hard to please — he was a task master with giant expectations. The more you did, the more he gave you to do — just as he set high standards for himself, he expected others to also push themselves to achieve. At that stage of life, I loved the challenges he gave me and, of course, it was a great learning process. He never shied from exploring new possibilities or giving responsibility to young people and was willing to take risks provided he could see the potential rewards. He built teams and was a natural leader, with those around him hankering to be a part of his vision for the future. He went on to lay down the first cable networks in Pakistan, was a pioneer in mobile communications, and started investment and insurance companies. He built newspapers, shopping malls, real estate companies and art galleries. Even though he had the Midas touch, he felt that there was something missing in his life. With President Asif Ali Zardari assuming office in 2008, the PPP Government asked him to become governor of Punjab. He was delighted with this appointment, realising a lifetime personal ambition. Despite all the years of building his business, I knew he was happiest playing a role in politics in Pakistan. My father once told a dear journalist friend of mine Moni Mohsin, that even though knowledge, strategy and prowess were necessary components of life's success, luck also played an important part. My father used to say that when Napoleon chose his soldiers, he is said to have asked them if they felt ‘lucky’, using that as a final selection criteria. He knew battles were won in the mind far earlier than in the battlefield. My father knew, and was confident he could always succeed in business, but did not always have that faith when it came to politics. He felt luck may not always be on his side. In the end, he was aware of the risks, but was unwavering in his pursuit of justice and speaking his mind for the betterment of a secular Pakistan. He stood firmly for what he believed in to the very end, knowing that luck may one day let go of his hand. He told me a week before he was assassinated that if he, as a person of privilege, shied away from speaking for justice, who then, would have the courage to speak up. He believed that in life, a person is known by the weak person’s hand he holds, not by the strong ones he lean on. I am consoled in knowing that his legacy is one of bravery and justice and that his ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten. I am lucky to have Salmaan Taseer as my father and Pakistan is lucky to have had him as her child. Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2013. Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

Twitter alert: ‘The brave Salmaan Taseer’

web.desk — Fri, 04 Jan 13 12:21:08 +0500

Two years ago on this day, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer was brutally gunned down by his private security guard for speaking against the country’s blasphemy law. His self-confessed killer, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, was made a hero by religious fanatics, who garlanded him when he confessed to the crime. A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court later sentenced him to death. On Taseer’s 2nd death anniversary, the local twitterati paid tribute to the former governor, terming him the “Lion of Punjab”. Here are the top tweets from the trend #SalmanTaseer: Nadeem F. Paracha Remembering #SalmanTaseer - his social wit, political guile and noble stand. Aseefa B Zardari RIP Shaheed #SalmanTaseer Lion of Punjab we will never forget you ...thoughts and prayers are with his family Sharmeen Obaid ‏ In memory of #Salmantaseer and all that he stood for- A tolerant #Pakistan worth fighting for Nasim Zehra Fateha for #SalmanTaseer & prayer that Allah guides us to use the only power we have, power of words to end the darkness spread in Pak in Islam's name PakistanPeoplesParty Tribute to #SalmanTaseer, a brave, liberal and outspoken personality - #PPP #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/7qpUCgLy Ali Arqam ‏ The best tribute to Shaheed #SalmanTaseer will be to get his son Shahbaz Taseer safe return to home, Saqlain Imam #SalmanTaseer, who, as a follower of the Prophet (PBUH) took stand for weaker people, still struggling for his own place in #Pakistan! Nadia Jamil ‏ With #SalmanTaseer gone, WHO in power will be a voice for bullied minorities? Who will visit poor neglected women in jail with family to bring cheer/hope? Ali Salman Alvi ‏ People die, ideologies do NOT... #SalmanTaseer lives on. #Pakistan Raza Rumi I have not reconciled with the death of #SalmaanTaseer nor with the idea of accepting that people can actually celebrate murder. #Pakistan

Salmaan Taseer’s murder: IHC forms medical board to examine Qadri

obaid.abbasi — Thu, 06 Dec 12 04:49:12 +0500

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered on Wednesday the constitution of a medical board to examine the health of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of late Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. Hearing a petition filed by Qadri, the bench directed Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Executive Director Professor Riaz Ahmed Warraich to constitute a board comprising a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist and a dental special specialist. After examining Qadri, the board will submit a report to the court. Last month, the bench issued a notice to the federation, directing it to submit a report on Qadri’s health in response to his petition. During Wednesday’s hearing, the counsel for the federation Sahabzada Raees Ahmed submitted a medical report, which claimed that Qadri’s health was satisfactory. Ahmed further informed the court that Qadri was being treated by doctors at the Adiala Jail as well. Qadri’s attorney Justice (retd) Mian Nazir, however, opposed the report claiming that his client’s health has deteriorated over the last six months. He maintained that Qadri has lost weight drastically due to cardiac and gastrointestinal problems, adding that his client’s health showed no signs of improvement despite using medicines prescribed by the jail doctors. Qadri was sentenced to death by a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court after he confessed to killing Taseer. Part of Taseer’s security entourage at the time, he shot him 27 times in Islamabad on January 4, 2011. Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2012.

Tribune’s Gamechangers 2011: Mumtaz Qadri

express — Fri, 13 Jan 12 13:00:21 +0500

The smiling face of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, a member of the Elite Force squad on security duty with Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer who turned his gun on the governor, continues to shock many in Pakistan. Qadri never argued that he had not killed Taseer – shortly after he shot him dead, Qadri said his motive was Taseer’s apparent opposition to the country’s blasphemy law. But if the murder wasn’t shocking enough, it was the stringent defence put up by religious parties, whose activists showered rose petals on Qadri at his court hearing, brought him flowers on Valentine’s Day and set up Facebook pages glorifying him. It came as a surprise, but the sentiment Qadri enjoyed has been prevalent in Pakistan for decades – it took Taseer’s assassination to expose it for what it is. He was eventually sentenced to death on October 1. Quote: “By punishing one Mumtaz Qadri, you will produce a thousand Mumtaz Qadris!” – protestor outside Qadri’s court hearing.

Tribune’s Gamechangers 2011: Salmaan Taseer

express — Sun, 08 Jan 12 14:31:54 +0500

Killed in the fight to defend a Christian woman from Pakistan’s Blasphemy laws, Taseer’s assassination by his own guard, Mumtaz Qadri set the tone for a turbulent, violent year that featured a rising trend of silencing voices speaking up for minorities, or against the religious right. All hope of amendments to the Blasphemy laws came to an end following the assassination, but more alarmingly, the jubilant reaction to the assassination by large sections of Pakistani society provided insight into the growing radicalization in the country. While a small minority marked Taseer down as a martyr, the vast majority termed his death as justified. Quote of the year: "I was under huge pressure sure to cow down before rightist pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I’m the last man standing." – Salmaan Taseer

A ‘liberal’ NA ignores Taseer’s death anniversary

nusrat.javeed — Thu, 05 Jan 12 04:54:20 +0500

As a curious follower of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Twitter account, I often find him expressing concern over the murder of Salmaan Taseer. The assassination of the former governor of Punjab by a guard specifically deputed for his security also seemed to have shaken his sisters, Bakhtawar and Aseefa. The three siblings reiterated their solidarity with Taseer’s family after completion of one full year of his murder Wednesday morning. Yet, these sincere-sounding tweets did not seem to have motivated mainstream leaders of the party, their illustrious mother had been leading for decades to wage long drawn out battles against tyranny and bigotry. The National Assembly that we have these days is packed with many self-declared liberals sitting on the PPP benches. It also has a distinct crowd of hardened secularists from the ranks of Awami National Party. Until my leaving the press gallery after sitting there for two hours, not one from amongst them dared to stand up and recall the murder of Salmaan Taseer that had happened in a crowded market of Islamabad. One can disregard the opportunistic silence in the assembly in the grand interest of protecting a government. But the silence seems doubly ominous, if you consider it in the context that Islamabad police refused to provide protection to a handful of volunteers who wanted to stage a brief vigil at the spot where Taseer was killed. And the same police had not stopped another crowd from assembling at Aabpara in the morning. The wife of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer-guard, was prominently present in this crowd which chanted slogans and demanded his release for committing an act that the crowd considered commendable for faith-based reasons. With a defeatist mindset, the PPP has surely abandoned what the naïve well wishers of this party continue to associate with it: some form of ‘liberal ideology.’ Even after abandoning the so-called ‘liberal causes,’ the PPP feels no shame while feigning bravery. During the question hour, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was found doing the same, almost audaciously. Someone from the opposition benches had asked her to explain whether the government intended to restore the Nato supplies to Afghanistan from Pakistani routes. And if yes were the answer, wasn’t it time to ask for appropriate compensation for the damage that cargo carrying containers cause to our roads. Instead of providing a clear answer, Khar went on and on to remind her worthy colleagues that only a popularly-elected government could dare to retrieve ‘the space’ that a military-led government had conceded to a superpower. Through a unanimously adopted resolution, “the sovereign parliament of Pakistan” had clearly conveyed it to the Americans in mid-May 2011 that any violation of national sovereignty would not be tolerated the next time. They killed 24 of our soldiers at a check post on Pak-Afghan border and the prime minister took no time to close the supply routes. After exhaustive consultations with senior Pakistani diplomats, our Foreign Office eventually articulated a package of guidelines to renegotiate the terms of engagement and cooperation with the US. The Parliamentary Committee on National Security is now deliberating over these guidelines. It will suggest the final package for consideration and approval by a joint sitting of parliament. The Foreign Office will begin talking to the State Department only in the light of guidelines furnished by a ‘sovereign parliament.’ The assertive stance of Khar did not please Dr Attiya Enayatullah. The donor countries and agencies had launched, groomed and promoted this articulate lady during the heyday of Pak-US relations in the 1980s. General Zia was then leading the Jihad in Afghanistan with not so covert help of the CIA. With the zeal of a neo-convert, however, Doctor Sahiba threw tantrums to find out from Khar as to why we had to wait for Salala to stop the Nato supplies. We should have done the same much earlier. To push the foreign minister in a tight corner, she also recalled that two years ago the ‘sovereign parliament of Pakistan’ had also asked the Zardari-Gilani government through another unanimously adopted resolution that the terms of Pak-US relations should be renegotiated after the departure of General Musharraf. Khar tried hard to make her understand that things turned qualitatively different after Salala. The May 2 attack on a compound in Abbotabad was different; for Osama had been found there after all. You really need to be recklessly audacious to practice politics in this country. Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.

Mourners fear Taseer’s candle being put out

mavra.bari — Thu, 05 Jan 12 02:48:06 +0500

Islamabad honoured Salmaan Taseer’s grave sacrifice for the freedom of thought and speech in Pakistan by remembering him on the anniversary of his assassination. Though some call it a sacrifice, others feel it is more of an injustice, which unfortunately has changed little in its wake. During a candlelight vigil organised outside the National Press Club, Ahmed Durani, 23, said, “Even though I think such acts of remembrance are important, I still feel empty, because I look at the state of the country and find that not much has changed since his assassination. Maybe things are even worse.” Others echoed these sentiments. Ali Kazmi, 22, elaborated that “295-C [the blasphemy law] should be abolished not only because it is misused but also because it is a by-law in itself, which creates further complications and issues”. In addition to remembering Taseer, the vigil addressed other injustices taking place in the country, such as honour killings in Balochistan, genocide of Hazaras at the hands of the Taliban and subjugation of transgenders. A victim of the blasphemy law, Asia Bibi, who received full support from Taseer, also came under discussion. Notable speakers included Tahira Abdullah and Marvi Sirmed. Alongside the vigil, friends and well-wishers of Taseer held a remembrance ceremony at the site of his assassination in Kohsar Market. They lit up the market carrying candles in baskets, adorning it with bouquets of flowers and pictures of Taseer. Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.

The fallen liberal

mohammed.rizwan — Wed, 04 Jan 12 22:09:39 +0500

The Punjab Assembly yesterday bowed its head in memory of Salmaan Taseer, the fallen liberal and democrat, and former member of the house. The PPP’s Zulfiqar Gondal asked the speaker for a prayer on the first death anniversary of the Punjab governor assassinated by a member of his own security detail. The speaker, a staunch opponent of the governor when he was alive, obliged without hesitation. Gondal said while “so-called liberals like a certain former Test cricketer are frightened to even name the extremists,” Taseer always faced them head on. The retired army major from Mandi Bahauddin was referring to Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and his interview with Indian journalist Karan Thapur. The ‘war on terror’ is not just about chasing and hunting down a few cavemen who planned to bring down two high-rise towers in downtown NewYork. It is also not about nabbing and bringing to justice international fugitives who committed that horrible act. It certainly wasn’t a remote control coup staged by the CIA to remove Mullah Omar and bring in Hamid Karzai. It is much more than that. It is a direct collision between the exponents of two ideas. Things came to a head when one ideology attacked the other. The small cracker bang outside a concert in a remote town in south Punjab and the passenger airplanes rammed into the Twin Towers in Manhattan are manifestations of this collision. Taseer never hid what side he was on in this battle. He belonged to a frail, unarmed and vastly outnumbered community of liberals and was killed like a sitting duck. The issue was not his alleged remarks against a law which he thought was discriminatory. The journalists covering crime and the courts know that Taseer was not the first to call for a review of the laws that deal with the issue of blasphemy. International and local human rights groups, representatives of minority groups and many others have cried hoarse to amend or repeal the laws. So what really triggered Taseer’s assassination? The war on terror has long descended from the mountains and is being fought in the hearts and minds of Pakistanis living everywhere. The extreme positions are entrenched, radicalising the whole society along the way. The contradictions in society, simmering for long, have manifested through violence. In Pakistan the friction between the ‘religious-minded’ and the ‘liberals’ has been omnipresent since Partition. But before, it was subtle and manageable and seen as a natural characteristic of the country. The incident of January 4, 2011, showed how bad things have gotten. Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.

Candlelight vigil: Taseer remembered

rabia.mehmood — Wed, 04 Jan 12 21:36:22 +0500

“What I will remember from 2011 will be the repulsive images of my father’s murderer on television,” Shehryar Taseer, son of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, said on Wednesday. Shehryar was talking to The Express Tribune at a vigil at Liberty Market roundabout in honour of his late father. Shehrbano Taseer also attended the vigil. Shehryar said that 2011 was one of the darkest years in the history of Pakistan. “Where is that judiciary and democracy we fought for?” he asked. Remembering his bother, Shahbaz Taseer, who was abducted in August 2011 from Lahore and has still not been recovered, Shehryar said, “I pray that God gives him the strength and courage to get through this day all alone.” The vigil was attended by a number of civil society activists. The participants carried placards with slogans against the blasphemy laws and demanded that the state step up action against militants. Imtiaz Alam, the South Asia Free Media Association president, said that ‘progressive’ people in Pakistan had become insecure.“One can only hope that the Pakistan government will enforce court orders and not allow citizens and militias to take the law in their hands,” he said. Social activist Rab Nawaz Rai condemned lawyers who openly supported Taseer’s self-confessed killer, Mumtaz Qadri. “These lawyers who openly support Qadri are a black spot on the collective conscience of our entire nation. They should be ashamed of their attitude,” his placard read. PPP MPAs Sajida Mir, Faiza Malik, Riffat Sultana Dar and Kishwar Qayyum were also present. Mir told The Express Tribune that they were participating in the vigil as a part of civil society and not a political party. She said Taseer was a brave man and should be honoured. She criticised the PPP Punjab for “forgetting” Taseer. “He had kept the doors of Governor’s House open for everyone. Now that he is no more, no one arranged a prayer for him there,” she said. Columnist Raza Rumi said he was disappointed by the PPP presence at the vigil. “The PPP is in such disarray that they could not gather a few hundred workers to remember a brave man.” A year on from the assassination that increased polarisation in the name of religion, minorities continue to feel vulnerable. An attendee at the vigil, who identified herself as a Christian citizen of Pakistan and wished to remain anonymous, said “Our lives as minorities are not safe here. What happened was not right.” Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.

Qadri supporters offer Rs100m for ‘holy gun’

rana.tanveer — Wed, 04 Jan 12 15:28:56 +0500

Around a thousand people gathered at Data Darbar on Wednesday in support of Mumtaz Qadri, the man who killed Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer one year ago, and called for his release. Supporters of various religious parties that form the Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Rasalat Mahaz (Front for the Protection of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Honour) staged protests at the Lahore Press Club, Minar-i-Pakistan and other places before gathering at the Darbar. The participants, mostly Barelvi Muslims, held up portraits of Qadri and chanted slogans in his honour. “Mumtaz Qadri expressed his love for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) by shooting a blasphemer, and you can’t even shout slogans,” said an announcer from the stage, trying to elicit a loud response from the crowd. They also roared as their leaders announced a resolution denouncing the media for not giving them ‘proper’ coverage. When the clock struck 4:25pm, the hour marking exactly one year since Taseer was killed, by standing, raising their arms and pledging to follow Qadri “against every blasphemer”. One speaker, Allama Muhammad Tahir Tabassum, suggested that the government auction off the gun with which Qadri shot the governor (), “like an auction of the bats or hockey sticks of famous athletes”. It was then announced that the Sunni Ittehad Council was willing to pay Rs100 million for the “holy gun”. Allama Muhammad Nawaz Bashir Jalali paid tribute to Qadri for “remaining firm” that his actions were justified and right. He said Qadri had gained international fame for the killing, and the love “not just of mankind, but birds too”. “Today is the day to renew our promises to defend the honour of the Prophet (pbuh),” said Pir Atharul Qadri. He said Taseer’s killing was justified by Islamic injunctions as he had committed blasphemy. He said blasphemers deserved to have their tongues cut off. He accused the media of downplaying their protests. Advocate Habibulah Saeedi, one of the lawyers who famously garlanded Qadri when he was brought to the Rawalpindi courts, said that the legal fraternity backed the assassin. “If Malik Ishaq, the killer of dozens of Muslims, can be released, why can’t Qadri?” asked Mujahid Abdul Rasool, referring to the founder of the outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. He said that the Sunni Ittehad Council would wage jihad against the PML-N, PPP, Sippah-i-Sahaba, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Lashkar-i-Taiba. Dr Raghib Naeemi said the “true lovers” of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) would continue “eliminating the blasphemers” regardless of the views of the outside world. Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali, Khan Muhammad Qadri and Pir Syed Zaheerul Hasan also addressed the participants. A resolution was adopted at the end of the rally asking President Asif Zardari to declare clemency for Mumtaz Qadri and punishment for Asia Bibi, the Christian woman jailed for blasphemy whose release Taseer had campaigned for. The resolution also demanded the permanent closure of Nato supply lines through Pakistan; purging of all Pakistani air bases of US personnel; the arrest of the killers of Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi and terrorists who bombed shrines; the removal of Ahmedis from government posts; and that “a free, fair and impartial investigation into the memo scandal be ensured and those responsible be tried under treason charges”. Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.

Punjab Assembly: PPP leader praises Salmaan Taseer, criticises Imran Khan

abdul.manan — Wed, 04 Jan 12 10:58:53 +0500

In a tribute to Salmaan Taseer, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary leader Major (r) Zulfiqar Gondal on a point of order lauded his services, while the Punjab Assembly offered Fateha for the slain governor. Gondal, on a point of order, appreciated Taseer’s work for humanity and also lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan over his stance on terrorism. The PPP leader said that Khan claimed to be a big leader but was a “coward” and had a double standard approach. Gondal said that the PTI chief had given an interview on an Indian television program hosted by Kiran Thapar, where he was asked if he would arrest clerics involved in terrorism and he had responded by saying he had to live in Pakistan and refused to answer the question. Drawing a comparison, Gondal said that on the other hand the late Taseer was a bold and audacious person who had carried on the enlightened policy of the party, and had boldly raised the flag regarding rights for minorities in Pakistan. The PPP leader said that the party had appreciated the services of late Benazir Bhutto and Salmaan Taseer, and added that both families had continuously faced tragedies. He demanded that the Government of Punjab with the support of the federal government should work for the early recovery of Shahbaz Taseer. The house on his demand offered Fateha for the slain governor. Minorities happy with PPP because of Taseer: Riaz PPP leader Raja Riaz, while speaking to the media, said that it was because of the courage of Salmaan Taseer that minorities were happy with the PPP, as they believed that their rights would be protected by the party. Riaz lashed out at the Sharif brothers and said that their decision to quit the coalition government in the center, the removal of PPP ministers from the government in Punjab and the move over the Memogate scandal were done on signals from power corridors. He said that Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif’s one man show was about to end. The PPP has not held any event in honour of Salmaan Taseer at the Governor House today. When Riaz was asked why Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa was reluctant to hold a seminar in remembrance, he said that an event should have been held, but added that the governor could give a better reply. Assembly proceedings The provincial assembly resumed the session at 11:10am today, it was scheduled to begin at 10am. Education Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja Rehman answered questions regarding his department. Out of eight bills which were scheduled as the agenda of the day, seven have been passed so far. The proceedings are still on. The following Bills have been passed: The Punjab Public Service Commission Bill 2011 The Provincial Motor Vehicles Bill The Punjab Agricultural Pesticides Bill The Punjab Industrial and Commercial Employment Bill The Punjab Maternity Benefit Bill The Punjab Workers Children Bill The Punjab Bonded Labor System Bill 2011

Salmaan Taseer on Twitter: Last man standing against Blasphemy laws

Atika.rehman — Wed, 04 Jan 12 10:15:16 +0500

Hum ne gulshan ke tahfuz ki qasm khae hae” (I have taken an oath to protect this garden) This phrase is from one of former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s Tweets about Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who was imprisoned after being accused of blasphemy. In his struggle to ensure her right to a fair trial, Taseer was gunned down and his assassin, Mumtaz Qadri garlanded in the very garden he vowed to protect. In the months before his assassination, Taseer tweeted his hopes of a progressive Pakistan, campaigned for minorities’ rights and lauded those who, like him, called for a repeal of the draconian blasphemy law. As the criticism from extremist elements grew against him, Taseer grew bolder, funnier and more unguarded, vowing not to cow down to fundamentalists even if he was the “last man standing.” The following list of select Twitter updates from the late governor’s profile encompass his views on Aasia Bibi’s case, minority rights and the blasphemy law till the day of his death. (Tweets have been proofread for readability) TASEER ON AASIA BIBI & BLASPHEMY LAWS The sentencing of Asia Bibi for blasphemy by a magistrate is more damaging to Pakistan’s image than the attack on CID HQ in Karachi. Aasia Bibi's appeal has been filed in the High Court. I am personally supervising the case. Inshallah I will ensure she is not victimized. Leaving for district jail Sheikhapura to see Aasia Bibi with mercy petition for President Zardari. Hum ne gulshan ke tahfuz ki qasm khae hae. Held press conference in Sheikhpura jail with Aasia Bibi. Got her clemency petition signed to forward to President Zardari. Said we want Jinnah’s Pakistan. Said the White strip in our flag is for minorities. Our religion commits us to their protection. She is a poor woman who could not defend herself. Said we want a progressive Pakistan not hostage to religious fanaticism Vaaris of Jinnah Benazir & Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Very positive and encouraging response on my stand on Aasia Bibi case. President has clearly stated that Aasia will not be punished. In 1992 the enlightened Nawaz Sharif introduced mandatory death sentence to Blasphemy Law (295-c) after which after which surge in cases. Maulvis have given a fatwa against me!!! It gets better and better. Before my visit to Sheikapura jail people were afraid to talk of the black blasphemy laws. Now it's open season. The glass wall has been broken. Just watched Imran Khan on TV opposing the Blasphemy law! I want to see how his friends the mullahs react. Will he be branded apostate? Imran Khan supporting my contention that on a non-party basis we should re-examine the blasphemy law. Before I took up the issue no one spoke. Javed Ghamdi Islamic scholar says blasphemy law is against Islamic tenants. Sherry Rehman has filed amendment to blasphemy laws. Well done Sherry! My observation on minorities: A man/nation is judged by how they support those weaker than them not how they lean on those stronger. The worst thing about a society permeated with religious fanatics, fundamentalists and extremists is that they make you ashamed of being normal. Covered in the righteous cloak of religion even a puny dwarf imagines himself a monster. Important to face. And call their bluff. I'm ok with my effigy being burnt and Fatwas against me but I’m really angry that I'm not mentioned anywhere in WikiLeaks! Tomorrow mullahs are demonstrating against me after Juma. Thousands of beards screaming for my head. What a great feeling! So the much hyped Juma call against me flopped badly. Barely a few hundred that's it. Threats proved empty. Really? And when was that? RT @ISuckBigTime @SalmaanTaseer You disrespected Holy Prophet PBUH so I hate you from deepest chambers of my heart. It took Maulana four weeks to realize I oppose blasphemy laws. Perhaps Swati being sacked for corruption was the wakeup call? Aasia Bibi case mobilized public opinion against extremists like Rosa Parks in US South. Babar Awan DOES NOT represent PPP stance thank God. Religious right trying to pressurise from the street their support of blasphemy laws. Point is it must be decided in Parliament not on the road. I was under huge pressure sure to cow down before rightist pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I'm the last man standing. (December 31, 2010) Mera azm itna bulund hae Parae sholon se dar nahin. Mujhe dar hae tu atish e gul se hae Ye kahin chaman ko jala na dein. Significant? (January 4, 2010 – the day of his assassination)

Salmaan Taseer on Twitter: The gloves-off politician

Shaheryar Popalzai — Wed, 04 Jan 12 10:11:48 +0500

Former Governor Salmaan Taseer was never short of words, be it for his political opponents, militants and extremists, Indians interacting with him or just regular people on Twitter looking to pick a fight. Taseer joined Twitter on October 6, 2009. His initial tweets focused more on the former governor’s daily agenda and self-promotion, but this later branched into hitting back at political opponents (specifically the Sharif brothers) and commenting on a host of other issues. On the politics front, Taseer never missed a chance to take a jab at the Sharif brothers and the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), and was also an early critic of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan. Taseer was also fond of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and would tweet about the sacrifices he made for the PPP during General Ziaul Haq’s tenure and also about slain party leader Benazir Bhutto. He was also a vocal critic of the Indian Army in Kashmir and would equate its presence to the actions of Israeli forces in Palestine. The following list of select Twitter updates from the late governor’s profile encompass his online political persona. (Tweets have been proofread for readability) TASEER BASHES THE PML-N MQM in Punjab? Excellent all parties should go national. I only wish PML N could get off the GT road and go national. In May I will complete 2yrs as Governor Punjab. Please send your flowers gifts etc to Raiwind to thank the Sharifs for their love and support. Noting with concern the Sharifs are only paying rs5000 per month tax. I have asked for them to be included in the Benazir Income Support Program. Let the Sharifs teach the UK Conservative Party the method of coalitions aka lota's and forward blocks. I heard CM Punjab has joined Twitter after my debut. Imitation is the sincere form of flattery, bare mian to bare mian, chote mian subhanallah Like a newly married wife doesn't take her husband’s name PML N refuses to say TALIBAN. I need input what sharmili dulhan PML N should call Taliban. Tweeters have suggested MERE VO or MUNE KE ABU etc... I'm writing to WWF to replace Panda as symbol of endangered species with Nawaz Sharif! In the political jungle he's become extinct. News item today the US Govt wants to buy Governors House. I think the PML N govt will sell it for $1 provided they take the Governor with it. Nawaz Sharif and George Bush have degrees. Jomo Kenyatta and Mao ze Tung had no degrees. Form your opinion! After a long time PML N has come out Number one for the first time? Topped the list of fake degrees holders by a long way. Mubarik Chote bare Mian Initially I was targeted by PMLN, Islamic fundo hate groups etc. Now it's Hindu lunatics RSS and Pak haters. I must b doing something right! Another Muslim League! PML N< nincompoops Q< qalabaz F < no marks 4 guessing. One has a sher now Shaheen next should have a rat! It's comforting that anti Bhutto forces are led by Nawaz Sharif. If someone with brains was in that position we could face real problems! Shabaz Sharif threatens ANOTHER long march. If he can walk unaided from his new house in model town to Raiwind I'll resign as Governor! Interviewing with Najam Sethi CM Shahbaz said Governor "honest good person". Sethi "Govnor Punjab?" CM "no governor SBP!" I was shattered. TASEER ON THE PPP/GOVERNMENT Vo jo karz rakhte th jan par vo hisab aj chuka diya... PPP gave the 1973 Constitution and now PPP gives the 18th historical Amendment. 18 Tarameem ka matlab hai 2018 tak Zaradari rehay ga! Told Bangladesh press delegation that by releasing Mujibur Rehman in 1971, Bhutto saved Pakistan from ignominy and shame. In politics there is no ultimate power and no ultimate defeat... 18th Amendment is good for the evolution of power... it is a victory for Pakistan. Signing of 18th Amendment by the President was a historic moment. Some people looked sad! Jahan shehnai bajti hae vahan matam bhi hota hae. Ranj se khoogar hua insaan tu mth jata hae ranj...Mushkelein itne pari mujh par ke ahsaan ho gayen The great Bhutto quoted that Ghalib sher before his judicial murderers in the Supreme Court. Like 1973 constitution what PPP sows is RAPED by others. This time Inshallah PPP will again be in power 2017. Perhaps UK Conservative Party should take advice from PPP as to how form a government with a hung Parliament. Of BB's political life of 30 years she was in office 5 years only. Ironically she is more powerful in death than in her life as an icon visionary. I started my political career with Bibi witnessed the poisonous attacks on the Bhutto's. Today they are the symbol of the federation of Pakistan. TASEER ON IMRAN KHAN Imran Khan says he can solve Pakistan’s Problems in 90 days: terrorism, power, population growth water etc. What about Imran? Who is going to solve that? People messaged me Imran Khan must be given a chance. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for Pakistan it requires 173 seats in the NA. Thank God for democracy. Does this mean we will never be a welfare state! RT @ImranKhanPTI vows to make #Pakistan ‘welfare state if PTI comes to power. Imran Khan and Sarah Palin is a match made in heaven. TASEER ON INDIA I'm always amazed to see how eager to believe Pakistanis are when there is anything negative about their country unlike Indians who cover up. The killing fields of Kashmir have overtaken Palestine. Under the cloak of shining India is a brutal story of murder, rape and suppression. The Indian occupation of Kashmir is an exact parallel of the Israelis in Gaza. Same tactics, same brutality. TASEER ON THE ARMY/MILITANCY It is a time to stand up for Pakistan. I do not fear the terrorists. Never give in. Wants all Pakistani's to stand firm behind the army and support your troops. A united Pakistan under one flag. How can the ISI aid Taliban who are killing Pakistani troops ? Irresponsible selective WikiLeaks are poison. I'm not a conspiracy believer but there are shadowy spook agencies that cannot see Pakistan as an Islamic moderate democratic nuclear success story. OTHER POLITICAL VIEWS Police beating doctors... Doctors beating media... Media beating lawyers... Lawyers beating police........... Circle complete! Knowledge can only thrive in a liberal atmosphere! Pakistan has been raped by the so called educated, not illiterates. So why do MPs need to be graduates? I have taken leave from the affairs of state to master by new iPad. Who says politicians cannot be techies? I was driving today without security talking on the phone and a policeman challaned me. I had to explain I have constitutional immunity! Legally the governor as constitutional head of province CANNOT be charged for anything including murder! My family is never excused they pay. Other than me which governors, Ministers,CJP, President, PM, Chief ministers etc are on Twitter and listening to the people? Bullet proof car being purchased for protocol use by governor house. Not by me I drive my own car, live in my own house and pay my own utilities. The existing car is 16 yrs old. Representing the Federal government I have to host Presidents international visitors. So can we stop the BS? Next time the Turkish president comes I’ll drive him around on a motorbike and if Hakimullah knocks him off we can tell the world we are too poor. Nothing in the Constitution prohibits a Governor from being member of a political party. So-called Non-political governors turn out the worst. A politician’s personal spending habits are his business as long as he is not stealing from the Government. I know many frugal thieves - we are not Ghandi. Nobody has accused me of a fake degree. NRO safe passage, bank default, tax fraud. Kya baat hae? Maza nahin a raha. I'm feeling left out! A judicial coup cannot work in Pakistan. The only formula is democracy, democracy and more democracy. The best thing about the APML (2) is that both their leaders Chaudhry Shujaat and Pir Pagaro can't speak. One thing is clear from WikiLeaks - that elected persons with peoples mandate don't run Pakistan. Makes elections pointless. Corruption! I believe rich and wealthy are more susceptible to greed than the poor. It is the rich educated and privileged who have destroyed Pakistan, not the poor illiterate and dispossessed.

Salmaan Taseer on Twitter: Razor sharp wit, funny quips

Atika.rehman — Wed, 04 Jan 12 10:09:33 +0500

Whether it was celebrity gossip or a tweet ridiculing the Sharif brothers, Twitter could always rely on former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer for funny quips. Taseer’s humorous tweets professing self-adulation, and especially those directed towards his daughter Sara Taseer were certainly amongst his finest. The best thing about these Tweets is that they were uncensored and relentless – he was not afraid to laugh at himself or anyone else and did it with a great sense of wit. The following list of select Twitter updates from the late governor’s profile encompass his lighter side. (Tweets have been proofread for readability) THE LIGHTER SIDE OF TASEER Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik have knocked off the electricity crisis... Thank God! Doctors have become an endangered species... I am going to recommend a wildlife fund to take out the panda and put in the Pakistani doctor. I suggest calling ALL party heads and not just Nawaz Sharif, who will look like he's swallowed a frog. For the last 48 hours I've been trying to sell Pakistan to US investors in the background of Kasab - now Faisal Shehzad !Chalo himat na haro My wit is not appreciated by all. Someone agitated 'no governor in the universe Twitters like you’. I took it as a compliment. Twitter is off my BB so I'm using my iPad, I assume my silence must have been devastating. After my interview on Dunya TV tonight I will consider opening an exclusive ST fan club. Minimum requirement under 80 with a heartbeat! Burdens of state must have damaged my brain pattern. Most politicians I have followed on twitter give dull dreary motivational messages with no attempt at wit or originality. Why? I'm surprised to see Nawaz Sharif complaint at Babar Awan using private planes as he and Sharif family use Governor Punjab plane like a rickshaw. My daughter Sara is going to Spain to watch the football final! Somebody forgot to tell her it is in South Africa! Sharifs are transporting Paul the Octopus to Raiwind to predict their future! I’m afraid he may end up in their Paya if he tells the truth. Initially I was targeted by PMLN, Islamic fundo hate groups etc. Now its Hindu lunatics RSS and Pak haters. I must b doing something right! PM spoke for 3 minutes to give General Kiyani 3 year extension… Suppose he had spoken for 10 mins?! Tried for Angelina Jolie to accompany me to Muz'grh but got Farzana Raja. Sare khawashat pure Nahin hote. I’ll send Sheikh Rashid RT @smitaprakash: So Jolie went to Pakistan, can we have Brad Pitt here. I mean we got floods too, you know. Thank God I left today RT @marvi_memon: I hav entered seraiki speakin territory Sep 9 I'm amazed that the simplistic pathetic remarks to my JOKE that Sarah Palin can't tell difference between a KOREAN and QORAN! Humor? I think Angelina Jolie who donated $100,000 for Flood victims is the real "daughter of Pakistan". Watching horror movie on HBO or Rana Sanaullah Ijaz Haq Ikram Sehgal on talk shows? Chose HBO its less scary. Just don’t push me over the LOC! RT @marvi_memon: @SalmaanTaseer U r cordially invited. U must make a dhoohandaar speech. My only demand. Perhaps the best thing Nawaz Sharif ever did was declare Sunday the national holiday. Sorry I discuss people RT @husainhaqqani Great minds discuss ideas average minds discuss events small minds discuss people Eleanor Roosevelt. Abdul Razzaq is the Asma Jehangir of one day cricket. A thief stole my credit card a week ago but I didn't report it because I saw he was spending less money than my wife. True! I've decided to sacrifice something dear to me for Eid. Where are you Sara? Its 6 am child reciting naat on Masjid loudspeaker to tune of "Muni badnam ho gaye darling tere leye" when does this madness stop?

Marking the anniversary: Polarising in life, and death

rana.tanveer — Wed, 04 Jan 12 05:06:12 +0500

Salmaan Taseer’s assassination was a polarising event, brought into sharp relief by the planned responses to his first death anniversary. The religious right has called for observing January 4, Taseer’s first death anniversary, in ‘honour’ of his self-confessed assassin Mumtaz Qadri and mark it as the Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat (protection of the sanctity of Prophethood) day. The Sunni Ittehad Council, an umbrella organisation of Barelvi groups, announced holding a rally from Minar-e-Pakistan to Data Darbar, in favour of the former governor’s assassin. The announcement, however, was condemned by rights activists who termed their call ‘inhumane and unethical.’ Such celebrations are a symbol of intolerance in society, said Abdullah Malik, a human rights activist, while talking to The Express Tribune. Even if the religious right was in favour of killing Taseer, they should at least stop condemning him after his death, he said, adding that it is insensitive for the bereaved family. Malik said rights activists have organised a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to Taseer on Wednesday. He also condemned Qadri’s supporters for justifying an assassin who took the law into his own hand, and whose act was termed illegal by the court. Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

Husband, NGO scrap over Aasia Bibi’s case

taha.siddiqui — Wed, 04 Jan 12 04:52:53 +0500

The case which ultimately cost Salmaan Taseer his life is stuck in deadlock, amid allegations of financial impropriety and tussles over representation. Taseer’s assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, killed the Governor of Punjab because of his support for Aasia Noreen, a Christian woman sentenced to death in November 2010 for blasphemy. Aasia’s appeal case is still due to be heard in the high court. Recent investigations, however, reveal a dispute between Aasia’s husband Ashiq and the Masihi Foundation (MF), which claims it has represented Aasia – more commonly known as Aasia Bibi – from day one. It appears that Aasia’s name is being used by different lobbies to promote themselves and gather funds. SK Rashid, the lawyer who filed her appeal in the high court, has not yet been paid by MF. This is a claim MF accepts, saying they will soon make the payments. On the other hand, Ashiq says that MF does not represent Aasia any more. “We do not think it is advisable to pursue Aasia’s case right now under the current government,” says Ashiq. “We are in touch with some top lawyers in the country.” Ashiq’s claims are rejected by Haroon Barkat, head of MF, based in the UK, which was representing Aasia when she was sentenced. “We were and still are the legal counsel for Aasia. Ashiq is only interested in money-making, which he has been involved in ever since international support started coming in for Aasia,” he alleges. According to Haroon, Ashiq signed a contract last year with a French publisher for a book on Aasia. “I have been getting around 5% royalties and as yet they have sent around a million rupees,” Ashiq admits. Sources say he has used the money to start a construction business. While fund-raising for Aasia is not being directed towards her, Ashiq claims that a recent press release by MD citing a visit to Aasia in Sheikhupura jail is false. The news was carried by all global news agencies after a statement issued by MF claimed that Aasia’s health is deteriorating and she is mentally ill. Ashiq rejects this, saying he met Aasia over Christmas and she has no health issues. “I asked Aasia and she says no one met her. The Masihi Foundation is trying to earn money out of my wife’s name,” he says. This claim can also be independently verified from the Home Secretary Punjab Shahid Khan, who confirmed that he did not give any permission for the visit, while the Sheikhupura Jail Administration also confirmed that no such visit happened. Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

The real essence of Salmaan Taseer

ayesha.tammy.haq — Wed, 04 Jan 12 04:30:14 +0500

A little over 30 years ago I met Salmaan Taseer in Dubai. I was straight out of law school and working for a US-Pakistani firm in Dubai. There were few people a 22-year-old could find much commonality with. Salmaan was different that way. He was interested in and interesting to many. We would meet up for dinner at least once a fortnight and chat about everything, politics, people, work, movies, travel, everything. He was the quintessential open book, difficult for some to read and understand but those who did never wanted this book to end. At the surface he was a very successful man who built empires. He did but he also left them to others as he pursued his greatest passion – politics. When I met him he had written his book on Mr Bhutto and was pretty much persona non grata in General Zia’s Pakistan. How huge an admirer of Mr Bhutto’s I was yet to discover. One evening I had gone to dinner, Salmaan said that someone who had just arrived from London would be joining us. A short while later the bell rang and a young, very exhausted Tariq Islam entered. He was Mr Bhutto’s nephew and had been living in exile in various countries as Zia was not particularly welcoming. His UK visa had run out, he had no job and nowhere to go. Salmaan heard about his predicament and called him in London saying you don’t know me but come to Dubai I have a job for you. Tariq arrived a few days later. It would be many years before I discovered that Tariq and Salmaan met for the first time that day. In fact when Salmaan died so many similar tales surfaced. That to me was the real essence of the man - kind and compassionate to those truly in need. It was that compassion and kindness that took Salmaan to meet Mukhtaran Mai immediately after being sworn in as governor and assure her of his support. And it was that kindness and compassion that took him to Sheikhupura Jail to meet Aasia Bibi and explain to her that she needed to put her thumbprint on a petition for mercy. He took the petition to the president, who procrastinated, the religious right protested, and the petition was never signed. The most hideous crimes are committed daily. Duly shocked, we condemn them and then file them away in some deep recess of the mind so we aren’t plagued by images and are able to sleep at night. But not everyone is so lucky. In fact most are not. Grief is personal and tragedy sits in every home. It is personal to all those touched by it and because there is so much tragedy, as a means of survival, we try to avoid being touched by another’s grief lest we are sucked over and over again into tragedy so we eventually become immune to it. We each need to grieve our own and respect another’s grief. But ever so often the tragedy extends beyond the life that has been lost and centres on something bigger, something that endures long after we all are gone. Salmaan’s murder was a terrible tragedy for my sister, her children, our entire family. The grief and shock was compounded by the reaction of a small but violent and intimidating segment of our society who seek to even take your right to grieve. What’s worse is that this small and violent group is going unchallenged and as a result is using its voice and aggressive street presence to grow and occupying the space we seem to be prepared to cede so easily. On January 4, 2011 at around 4:15 on a lovely winter afternoon as we entered a new year we thought was full of promise and hope, Salmaan Taseer the serving Governor of Punjab was murdered, by a man assigned to protect him, ironically for speaking out for the most disadvantaged section of society. The section of society his party sees as its constituents: poor, Christian and a woman. Gunned down in cold blood in full view of dozens of people. Everyone including the government ran for cover, giving that small group of people licence to take to the streets to condone the murder and to publicly promise the same for anyone who tried to speak out. Years of teaching hate and intolerance paid off. Pakistan was quickly divided among those who could not hide their satisfaction at the murder of a man who had spoken out and the rapidly shrinking segment of those who believe that tolerance is the only way forward. But Salmaan died as he lived by his belief in natural justice and what is right. As he never tired of quoting Munir Niazi – kujsheher de lok vi zalim san kujsaanu maran da shok vi si (Yes, my fellow citizens were oppressive; but yes, I too had a death wish). The writer is a lawyer and hosts “24 Seven” on Business Plus Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

Treading between scripture and common law

mudassir.raja — Wed, 04 Jan 12 04:25:04 +0500

A cold-blooded murder in broad daylight, a self-confessed assassin in custody, but a year on, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassination is not a resolved chapter. After a ten month long trial, the self-confessed assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, was awarded death sentenced by the Anti-Terrorism Court on October 1, 2011. The trial judge, Syed Pervaiz Ali Shah, observed in his verdict that while a ‘blasphemer’ is wajibul qatl (deemed to be killed), and can only be forgiven by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself, the case raised two major questions. First, who declares one a blasphemer, and two, if one is declared as such, who will execute them? The judge decreed that individuals cannot be given the authority to determine a person a blasphemer, infidel or non-Muslim. Besides, individuals cannot be allowed to execute the punishment because it would pave the way for anarchy and turmoil in society, the judge added. The judge also rejected Qadri’s defence of acting on sudden provocation. “The statements of the governor about blasphemy laws were published in 2010 and the murder was committed on January 4, 2011,” the judge observed. “Further it was not the plea of the accused that the deceased made these remarks in his presence. The accused himself put a provocative question to Taseer as he was coming out of restaurant and it was not the deceased who provoked the killer,” the judge added. The conviction sparked countrywide protests by Qadri’s supporters, and in Rawalpindi, lawyers of district bar association forced the Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice to transfer Shah, the trial judge. Appeal pending Qadri, represented by former LHC chief justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, appealed his conviction at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The court admitted the appeal for regular hearing on October 12, 2011. Qadri, in his appeal, has argued that he did not commit a murder but killed a blasphemer and that the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) could not grant him death sentence for murdering an individual. His lawyers have further argued that the trial court, while handing down death sentence on two counts to Qadri, avoided Islamic jurisprudence laws. They have further maintained that the ATC in Rawalpindi was not legally allowed to conduct the trial of the former constable in Adiala jail, since he did not commit any offence related to terrorism. Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

One year on

editorial — Tue, 03 Jan 12 19:39:45 +0500

On this first anniversary of the assassination of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer, we must take stock of how much moral backbone the country has lost by acquiescing in the persuasion of terrorism and the creed of extremism activating it. Two agencies or two professions must be held responsible for the downfall of the conscientious in the country: the media and the lawyers community. One puts to shame the brainwash of the fascist regimes of history; the other must give the judiciary a pause when re-evaluating the role played by the district-level lawyers in its restoration. Governor Taseer did not insult the Holy Prophet (pbuh); he simply protested a flawed legislation that causes the victimisation of the disadvantaged communities in the country. The role played by the media and the lawyers scared off the sane elements in society and the political party in power. Instead of making Taseer the emblem of our righteous objection to a very controversial law, we allowed the murder to go by default. Prominent citizens expected to uphold his cause, absented themselves from his funeral and clerics ran away from their duty of leading the janaza. Later, as if to confirm the moral backsliding of the nation, Taseer’s son was kidnapped from Lahore and is still being held for ransom. There is much that the media must hang its head in shame for. The fact that some opinion is eschewed because of fear of being killed — and some good journalists have been killed or thrashed — can be overlooked; but the fact that many media persons actually share the world view of the murderers cannot be forgiven. The case of Governor Taseer was a false reality manufactured by a large section of the media which acted irresponsibly. The default practice is to get the politicians to hate each other and fight in public view; or to frame the politician in such a way that s/he becomes a target of hate crime. A particular talk show host constantly traded accusations with him that put him on the defensive and projected Taseer as someone actually inclined to blaspheme. The fact was that he was not guilty of blasphemy; he was made to look like defending a community that is assumed to be blaspheming. The media followed up by actually giving airtime to people who accused him of committing blasphemy. The violence of words usually leads to violence of acts. And this is what happened. A policeman thought he could win the adoration of the nation by killing Taseer. What he killed was the reputation of Pakistan as a sane country. The lawyers usually come from the small districts where the writ of the state is weaker than in the big cities and there is a lot of violence used by the local strongmen to impose their order on the rural communities. After becoming successful there, lawyers usually relocate to big cities to educate their children and to escape the yoke of feudalism, police brutality and victimisation by an errant magistracy. But their minds remain arrested in the intolerant paradigm of religion, mixed with politics of power. Salmaan Taseer’s killer was lionised by the lawyers of the Rawalpindi Bar Association who showered him with flower petals and condemned the anti-terrorism judge who convicted him. The violence that the lawyers committed all over Pakistan — intoxicated with the sense of power imbibed from the restoration of the top judiciary — had reached its evil acme. Taseer’s death has signalled a new low point in our collective conscience. And we are reaping the tragic harvest of this depravity in the further killing of undefended communities. Taseer defended a poor Christian woman targeted by fanatic elements buttressed by a frequently-misused law. Today, a number of helpless women of the Hindu community in Sindh are being victimised without much reaction from the Muslim majority. The Muslims themselves are punished with internecine violence for this dulling of the sense of social justice. The state releases the dogs of sectarian war from jail only to have them kill members of the Shia community. Taseer wanted us to have a liveable Pakistan and he paid for that with his life. Today, as Pasban Jafaria activists gather in Karachi demanding justice from the government, we are reminded of a sacrifice in 2011 which we allowed to go waste. Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

We never learned

sami.shah — Tue, 03 Jan 12 18:54:54 +0500

Salmaan Taseer died and Mumtaz Qadri lived. Salmaan Taseer died and Aasia Bibi still sits in solitary confinement. Salmaan Taseer died and Shahbaz Bhatti died shortly after. Salmaan Taseer died and many celebrated. Salmaan Taseer died and lawyers showered his killer with flowers. Salmaan Taseer died and the media tolerated no introspection. Salmaan Taseer died and no discussion was had on the blasphemy law. Salmaan Taseer died in vain. That is what saddens me the most. That a man who stood up for the rights of a woman who was clearly being denied those rights, was killed in broad daylight and we learned nothing from it. There was a brief moment of justice prevailing in the judgment handed down to Mumtaz Qadri, but given that he committed murder in broad daylight, in front of scores of eyewitnesses and then readily confessed to it, the fact that we were surprised with the outcome just shows how low our expectations are. The question that still remains unattended then, that Salmaan Taseer died trying to address, is the validity of the blasphemy law. Last year, when he died and I condemned his killing (as did so many others), one person wrote me and demanded a clarification on how I could justify defending someone who attacked “Allah’s Law”. This was evidence, to me, of a fundamental ignorance of basic Islam. If we are willing to kill in the defence of our religion, wouldn’t it make sense for us to understand that religion first? The Holy Quran doesn’t state any punishment for blasphemy and the few Hadith cases used as vague justifications are actually more focused on not questioning the authority of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by people during his lifetime. The reference most commonly used, [Surah Al-Maidah 5:33], describes the punishment for anyone seeking to wage war on Allah and His Messenger. Even there, death is but one of four different potential punishments. Why did we decide it was our go-to option? The second issue that comes up is, can you condemn a non-Muslim for blasphemy? A Christian, whether you like it or not, does not believe in Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Is then their entire existence blasphemous? Is everyone other than a Muslim committing blasphemy just by existing? There is also, of course, the sheer audacity involved in presuming you can decide who is and is not a Muslim, a pastime Pakistanis love more than cricket. Such a judgment is God’s to make and one of the definitions of blasphemy is ‘the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God’. So haven’t those who called Salmaan Taseer non-Muslim then committed blasphemy themselves? Unfortunately, these discussions are inherently academic because the law already is in place and its enforcement has already resulted in many innocents being victimised. I say “innocents” because I refuse to believe anyone would rationally dare to insult Islam or it’s Prophet in Pakistan. It just beggars belief. The real issue here is what do the critics of the blasphemy law, in its current incarnation, want? Maybe some of them, in an ideal world, would like it gone altogether since they see the lack of sense in it. But no one is currently saying this. Everyone knows that such a change is not possible without serious, open discussion by the religious and legal authorities. Something unlikely to ever occur in Pakistan. Even Salmaan Taseer wasn’t asking for this. What everyone is asking for is that the law be amended. That it be written in a way that it protects against the possibility of misuse and puts the burden of proof on the accuser, not the accused. Currently, as it stands, it is a law which is open to misuse and often results in an abuse of the rights of citizens of Pakistan. Should Salmaan Taseer have been more careful in his phrasing? Definitely. But then it was his opinion and shouldn’t there have been debate with him over his use of the phrase as opposed to just shooting him dead? When we reach the point where we realise this and accept it, then we can say that Salmaan Taseer died and his death had an effect. Until then, we destroyed a life for no reason at all. Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

Has anything changed since Taseer’s murder?

raza.rumi — Tue, 03 Jan 12 18:14:29 +0500

One year after Salmaan Taseer’s murder, Pakistan still bleeds. The debate on laws introduced or amended by General Ziaul Haq has been muzzled. Progressives and moderate Pakistanis who mourned for Taseer continue to remain bewildered at the shameful support given to the Taseer’s murderer. Contrary to many predictions, the trial court delivered a sentence against Mumtaz Qadri and that was a small ray of hope which reminded us of the innate possibilities of reforming and strengthening the state. Yet, the judge who sentenced Qadri has had to flee the country because he was facing death threats. Earlier the prosecutors were threatened and when the judge delivered the sentence, lawyers vandalised the court premises. The foot soldiers of the rule of law movement were never exposed better than in the Taseer episode when hundreds of Islamabad and Rawalpindi lawyers garlanded a murderer; and thus emerged the unfortunate image of our times — a smug killer celebrated, denoting the disturbing side of Pakistani society. More importantly, the eerie silence of Pakistan’s moderate parties such as the Pakistan People’s Party, the Awami National Party and the PML-N on the issue of Taseer’s murder revealed how weak the political process is against the forces of extremism. The near-capitulation of the political class was evident when senators refused to offer prayer in the house. Only when a strong woman parliamentarian insisted and took the initiative, a prayer was held. These incidents will remain a shameful testament of how far we have allowed bigotry to rule us. Reportedly, the PPP-affiliated cleric who offered the funeral prayers for Taseer has also had to leave the country. Furthermore, citizens wish to know what happened to the members of the elite police force who were apparently complicit in Qadri’s crime. Has the leadership of a force meant to protect people been asked to answer for this fiasco? Moreover, what measures have the federal and provincial governments taken to prevent similar incidents taking place in the future? A year later, the media is yet to take stock of its questionable role in fanning misinformation and sensationalism about Taseer’s murder. One newspaper printed the copy of the fatwa against the former governor and a TV anchor called him a westernised liberal and almost a blasphemer. The media bodies, inactive as they are, have taken no cognisance of these ghastly cases of misconduct. It seems that the state and its strange ally, the media, are leading us towards further radicalisation. Taseer’s family continues to live in fear and his son, since August 2011, is in the custody of his abductors, who according to media reports, are none other than the infamous militant groups hell-bent on destroying Pakistan. The establishment, the political elite and the media are, at best, pandering to the rise of radical ideologies, which merge with the global Islamist movements. Should we let Pakistan slide into this extremist morass, deep into a sectarian abyss, or should we think of alternatives? Taseer’s murder and his son’s abduction are symptomatic of the easily identifiable fault lines that endangers Pakistan’s future. A year later, there is much to keep mourning about. Taseer was not an ordinary man — he represented the lost vision for Pakistan. Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2012.

Salmaan Taseer case: ATC judge goes on indefinite leave

express — Tue, 04 Oct 11 08:20:41 +0500

Justice Pervaiz Shah, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge who announced the verdict in the Salmaan Taseer murder case, has gone on leave for an indefinite period of time, Express 24/7 reported on Tuesday. Justice Shah had been receiving life threats since the hearing of the case had started. The ATC had sentenced Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, to death on Saturday. Qadri, one of Taseer’s elite force guards, shot and killed the governor for his views on the blasphemy law outside a restaurant in Islamabad.

Protect the judge (II)

letter. — Mon, 03 Oct 11 15:52:49 +0500

The judge who delivered a guilty verdict in Mumtaz Qadri’s case, for his murder of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, must be accorded state protection. Of course, given what happened to Mr Taseer, one can never be sure of the judge’s safety. Perhaps, the only refuge that the brave judge will now find will be in a foreign country. I wouldn’t be too surprised if we read one day that the judge was granted asylum in a European country. Adnan Ali Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2011.

Protect the judge

letter. — Mon, 03 Oct 11 15:49:08 +0500

The recent death sentence given to Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Salman Taseer has stirred agitation among many rightwing religio-political groups. The brave judge, Pervez Ali Shah of the anti-terrorism court must be accorded protection by the state given our experience of such matters. Unfortunately in Pakistan, the driving force behind religion and politics, both, has remained emotionalism. Rightwing parties take the lead and have time and again proved that they are unwilling to accept any decision that is given against one of them, even if it is based on religious principles of justice and fairplay. The police must ensure that people do not use violence when responding to the verdict and that no one involved in Qadri’s conviction comes to any kind of harm. Also, it is the responsibility of every sane citizen to stay calm, and also to urge others to act likewise. Zulfiqar Haider Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2011.

Sunni Tehreek's protest against Qadri verdict turns violent

express — Mon, 03 Oct 11 11:36:26 +0500

Members of the Sunni Tehreek clashed with police at the Mall Road on Monday, while protesting against Mumtaz Qadri’s death sentence in Lahore, reported Express 24/7. Sunni Tehreek, which is a part of Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz— a wing consisting of eight different religious groups— started the protest march from Data Darbar accompanied with a heavy deployment of police. According to Express 24/7 correspondent Rabia Mehmood, there were about 450-500 supporters of Qadri at the protest. The police shelled the protesters who were pelting stones as a part of their protest. Mehmood reported that the protesters staged a sit-in and have refused to end the protest. Earlier, the police were put on high alert to counter possible riots following the death sentence imposed on Qadri. Over the weekend several right-wing political parties and religious groups rallied against the verdict to hang Qadri and some of them have threatened further protests. Officials in law enforcement agencies said the police were alerted after intelligence suggested that organisations such as Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an umbrella outfit for several dozen Barelvi outfits, were planning protests that may turn violent, especially in Punjab. The SIC and Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz also announced that they would mark October 7 as a “black day” and organise protests all over the country. The Lahore High Court recently banned rallies on The Mall after traders who work in the area moved a petition complaining that the protests hurt their businesses. On Saturday, stick-wielding protestors roamed the markets on The Mall and pressed the traders to shut their stores, according to trader groups. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced Qadri to death on Saturday on two counts for the murder of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. The self-confessed killer’s defence pleas, which invoked religious sentiments and argued the accused was provoked into the act, were dismissed by the court. Qadri was employed as one of the governor’s bodyguards when he shot Taseer dead in Islamabad on January 4.

Court verdict: Police on high alert as govt scents trouble

zahid.gishkori — Mon, 03 Oct 11 05:01:33 +0500

The police were put on high alert on Sunday to counter possible riots following the death sentence imposed on Mumtaz Qadri. Over the weekend several right-wing political parties and religious groups rallied against the verdict to hang Qadri and some of them have threatened further protests. An anti-terror court delivered the judgment in Rawalpindi on Saturday. Qadri was convicted of murder and terrorism for shooting dead Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in January. The self-confessed assassin said he was driven by religious beliefs to kill the governor. Officials in law enforcement agencies said the police were alerted after intelligence suggested that organisations such as Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an umbrella outfit for several dozen Barelvi outfits, were planning protests that may turn violent, especially in Punjab. “We are expecting some serious trouble. Police will be on high alert to fight them,” a senior police official in Islamabad told The Express Tribune. Another official in Punjab said the police had been given anti-riot equipment to take on protesters and their reserve units were prepared for action. Protests took place on Sunday in parts of Rawalpindi, Islamabad and in some cities in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The Inspector General of Police Punjab sent a circular to police officers throughout the province calling for strict security arrangements to ensure protests were contained and managed. In Islamabad, according to police, protesters blocked traffic at multiple points on Benazir (Murree) Road and thrashed buildings. No arrests were made, however. In Karachi, several dozen activists from Sunni Tehreek (ST), a Barelvi group, rallied in front of the press club. (With additional reporting by Asad Kharal in Lahore and Z Ali in Hyderabad) Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.

Analysis: State and judiciary must uphold rule of law

nasim.zehra — Mon, 03 Oct 11 04:47:36 +0500

On October 1, almost nine months after the assassination of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, a brave judge, Parvez Ali Shah, of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), awarded a double death sentence to the self-confessed assassin. For a befitting sentence such as this one, it would be completely out-of-place to praise a judge as being bold under normal circumstances, in a normal country — a country where the rule of law persists and where the influential and anarchists do not undermine the law by intimidating law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. But not in Pakistan. The tragedy of Pakistan lies in the decades of policy blunders, where religion was used and abused. Security institutions created an environment of fear, passion and bloody violence in the name of religion, thereby undermining the normal functioning of the judiciary and the administrative system. And now there exist great distortions in powerful sections of the popular narratives regarding the role of religion in state, politics and society. Irrespective of what prevails within the private sphere, intolerance and impatience are the hallmarks that dictate the expression of religion in the public sphere. Hence, it is within this context that judge Shah deserves to be called bold and brave. The assassin’s supporters had managed to intimidate the state to the extent that the state prosecutor often found it difficult to enter the court, which was within the jail, through the front entrance. The judge, too, must have received threats, but his verdict dispenses justice, not a fear-ridden compromise of the rule of law. As the defence prepares to file, within a week, an appeal against the death sentence in the high court, a new round of aggression has emerged on the streets. Not unexpected, opposition to this verdict has begun to emerge. Groups, sporadically and in small numbers, have gathered in different towns to condemn the sentence. While it is entirely within the court’s purview to deal with the assassin’s appeal, the state, politicians and civil society must take necessary steps to ensure that the rule of law is upheld at all the stages of the assassin’s appeal. The following steps are particularly important. One, the state must provide fool-proof security to the ATC judge who gave the verdict. Not only is this his right, but any harm to him will deter other judges from giving out sentences on merit. Two, the government must come out, as should other political parties, to contest the arguments being put forth by the assassin’s defence. Three, the government and other political parties must publicly engage those who have a working relationship with the supporters of the assassin and ones that are now taking to the streets to contest the ATC ruling. Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.

Media downplaying our anger: Qadri backers

rana.tanveer — Mon, 03 Oct 11 01:50:29 +0500

Hardcore supporters of Mumtaz Qadri protested against his death sentence for a second day on Sunday, but in far fewer numbers and with much less disruption to routine city life. Some 150 people marched in a Jamiat Ahle Sunnat Pakistan (JAS) rally that culminated at the Lahore Press Club. They voiced their anger at the sentence handed to the killer of Salmaan Taseer. They held banners and placards and chanted slogans condemning the government, the courts and the media, as well as America and the Catholic Church for good measure. Clerics made speeches accusing news organisations of downplaying Saturday’s protests and made thinly-veiled threats about the security of their owners. Addressing the protestors, JAS Lahore Ameer Professor Muhammad Abdul Aziz Niazi said that the federal government had put pressure on the court to sentence Qadri to death. He said ‘Muslims’ would not accept this and demanded that Qadri be released immediately. He said the court should change its verdict, or they would boycott the courts as well as any politicians who did not join them in their protests. He said they would not vote for politicians who supported blasphemers. He said they would not let Qadri go to the gallows, “even at the cost of our lives”. JAS leader Qari Ghulam Nabi Chishti said the president should pardon Qadri. Maulana Muhammad Naeem said the court verdict was meant to “appease the US”. He said the owners of media outlets would “only be spared if they start giving coverage to our protests against blasphemers”. Qari Muhammad Nawaz said anyone who blasphemed or supported blasphemers would meet the same fate as Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti. “If killing a blasphemer is illegal under Pakistani law, we reject this law,” he said. Munir Chishti, a JAS member from Nankana, said if Qadri were not released, “the rulers” would be assassinated. More protests Meanwhile, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz announced that they would mark October 7 as a “black day” and organise protests all over the country. SIC leader Sahibzada Fazle Karim said October 7 would mark the start of a ‘Movement for Qadri’s Release’. He said the SIC would also support Qadri’s legal defence. He warned the government that hanging Qadri would “light the country in an uncontrollable fire”, and warned: “don’t play with this fire”. The TNRM said it would hold a demonstration on Monday in front of Data Darbar at 11am. The Anjuman Talaba-i-Islam plans to protest at the Press Club at 4pm today. Maulana Ameer Hamza, convener of Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool Pakistan, an offshoot of Jamaatud Dawa, said they would announce a “comprehensive protest plan” after consulting with other religious parties. Fatwa More than 500 Ahle Sunnat muftis signed an edict (fatwa) declaring that the sentence given to Qadri violated the Quran and Sunnah. They said that Islam permitted the killing of blasphemers and their supporters. They said the judge should have consulted religious scholars before deciding the case. They said the president should pardon Qadri under Article 45 of the Constitution. They said the chief justice of Pakistan should take suo motu notice, summon religious scholars for assistance, and then give a decision in favour of Qadri. Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.

Protesting Qadri's sentence: Thousand protestors paralyse city roads

express — Sun, 02 Oct 11 04:51:56 +0500

Around a thousand protestors defied a ban on rallies on The Mall on Saturday to block the road in anger at Mumtaz Qadri’s death sentence for the murder of Salmaan Taseer, causing massive disruptions to traffic all over the city. Unprepared and undermanned, the police were unable to stop them from blocking the road. Police sources said that officers monitoring the rally had failed to assess the situation properly. They said that when the rally began at Data Darbar, City SP Nawaz Khetran and Security SP Jawad Qamar were the only officers escorting it. The police had intended to stop the rally at Government College, but they didn’t have enough number to do so and they received instructions from higher-ups not to confront the protestors, they said. The blockage of The Mall resulted in traffic jams in Garhi Shahu, Canal Bank Road, Davis Road, Cooper Road and Ferozepur Road, said traffic police officials. They said that they tried to divert traffic to side roads, but these were also quickly blocked. Ongoing work on Ferozepur Road at Kalma Chowk and Muslim Town added to the problem. The roads remained jammed for up to seven hours, with the traffic issues not clearing up till about 10pm. Wardens worked in double shifts to sort out the problem. The Lahore High Court recently banned rallies on The Mall after traders who work in the area moved a petition complaining that the protests hurt their businesses. On Saturday, stick-wielding protestors roamed the markets on The Mall and pressed the traders to shut their stores, according to trader groups. However, representatives of the protestors denied this, saying they were entirely peaceful. Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2011.

Reaction: Mixed response on Qadri verdict

obaid.abbasi — Sun, 02 Oct 11 04:38:31 +0500

Mumtaz Qadri’s death penalty judgment divided Pakistani society on Saturday. Liberal voices hailed the verdict as a bold decision which would discourage people from taking the law into their own hands. Certain religious groups, however, expressed disdain for the anti-terrorism court’s (ATC) decision, declaring that Qadri had done no wrong. Syed Iqbal Haider, former chief of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, welcomed the verdict. “I am happy that the ATC awarded the death sentence to him. I pray that the high court upholds it.’’ Farzana Bari, a human rights activist, echoed this view. “Being a human rights activist, I have always criticised the death penalty, but at the same time nobody is allowed to take the law into his own hands,” he said. Former minister for information Sherry Rehman expressed her concern for the safety of the ATC judge. “It is the time for the state to show that its courts and judges are protected, and those who incite violence no longer have the cover of impunity,’’ she said. Tahira Abdullah, another human rights activist, expressed different concerns. “I cannot comment until I read the complete judgment. However I am very much concerned about the kidnapping of Shahbaz Taseer who went missing and this decision should not have any impact on him,” she said. Shuja ur Rehman, one of Qadri’s lawyers, described the decision as shameless and stated he would appeal. “I will go Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, against the decision within two days,” he added. Abdur Rahim, chairman of the Namoos-e-Risalat Lawyers Forum Pakistan, also condemned the decision and vowed to struggle against the decision. He said the judgment was reached without a proper hearing of the defence lawyer’s position. “We will start protests from Monday and will move towards parliament against the decision,” he said. Sahibzada Haji Fazal Karim, chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council Pakistan also questioned the court’s ruling. “I don’t understand. If someone is guilty of blasphemy, he must be killed. It is clearly mentioned in Section 95(A) of Pakistan Penal Code. So why are some people politicizing this issue?” he said. Protests in Lahore and Karachi In Lahore, hundreds of workers belonging to different religious parties rallied from Data Darbar to Faisal Chowk outside Assembly Hall after the verdict. Demonstrators also held a sit-in for three hours outside Punjab Assembly and declared Qadri “a true hero of Muslims.” Leaders of Tahafz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz were prominent among the rally. In Karachi, various Barelvi religious groups staged protests. The leaders condemned the death sentence also demanded that the government release Qadri in the same way they released American Raymond Davis. Religious organisations, including Sunni Tehreek and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, staged a sit-in protest in front of Karachi Press Club. Legal community divided on death sentence Talking to The Express Tribune, several legal experts said they hoped Qadri would not seek a pardon from President Asif Ali Zardari and instead accept the decision. President Lahore High Court Bar Association Asghar Ali Gill said that Qadri should have gone to court instead of killing Taseer. “It is not the proper way to either get or provide justice,” he said. Advocate Rabia Bajwa told The Express Tribune that the blasphemy laws are in place and therefore Qadri should have fought Taseer in court. She added that Qadri deserved this verdict and he should be given death sentence. Advocate Aftab Bajwa took a contrary view. He argued that criminals should not be awarded a death sentence in those cases in which an emotional element is involved. He said that the Supreme Court has made several decisions in the past in which the murderer was not given a death sentence. He said that in Qadri’s case life imprisonment would be more appropriate. (With additional reporting by Karamat Bhatty and Rana Yasif in Lahore and Faraz Khan in Karachi) Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2011. _____________________________________________________ [poll id="518"]

Verdict is in: Death penalty for Taseer’s assassin

mudassir.raja — Sun, 02 Oct 11 04:35:49 +0500

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has sentenced Mumtaz Qadri to death on two counts for the murder of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in January this year. The self-confessed killer’s defence pleas, which invoked religious sentiments and argued the accused was provoked into the act, were dismissed by the court. Qadri was employed as one of the governor’s bodyguards when he shot Taseer dead in Islamabad on January 4. In several court hearings, Qadri confirmed his motive for murder was Taseer’s call for a review of the country’s controversial blasphemy law. Special Judge ATC-II Syed Pervez Ali Shah declared the judgment in the high-security Adiyala Prison in Rawalpindi. The court also imposed fines of Rs100,000 each for the two convictions of murder and terrorism. Qadri held the unrepentant look he has maintained since confessing almost immediately after the murder. Those in court reported that on hearing the death sentence Qadri smiled, thanked Allah and said his dream had come true. Dismissing Qadri’s pleas, the judge said: “A proven blasphemer is wajib-ul-qatal (liable to be killed). He cannot be forgiven. Only the Holy Prophet (PUBH) himself can forgive him. However at this stage two questions arise. Firstly, can a person who is leading a sinful life be termed an apostate? Secondly, if he is deemed an apostate, then who will execute him? Obviously individuals cannot be given the authority to judge someone an apostate, infidel or non-Muslim. Moreover, individuals can not be allowed to execute the punishment on such persons because it will pave the way for anarchy, turmoil, restlessness and lawlessness in society. Therefore the defence plea in this regard is not helpful to the accused.” Rejecting the defence’s plea that the murder was a result of sudden provocation, the judge remarked: “The state ments of the governor about blasphemy laws were published in 2010, and the murder was committed on January 4, 2011. Further, it was not the plea of the accused that the deceased made these remarks in his presence. The accused himself put a provocative question to Taseer as he was coming out of a restaurant in Kohsar market and it was not the deceased who provoked the killer.” Advocate Shujaur Rehman, one of three defence counsels, complained that his side were denied the opportunity to counter the prosecution’s concluding remarks. Qadri’s lawyers were also unhappy at the timing of the judgment, claiming they were not informed that the court would announce its verdict on Saturday. “The court conveyed the verdict to Qadri in the absence of his lawyers”, said the advocate. According to Rehman, the defence was also not given time to file an application in court arguing that terrorism charges could not be levelled against Qadri. Since Taseer’s assassination, only one prominent Pakistani politician has openly called for changes to the blasphemy legislation. This man, the Minister for Religious Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, was also murdered, and since his death no politician has raised the issue publicly. Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2011. _____________________________________________________ [poll id="518"]

A welcome verdict

editorial — Sat, 01 Oct 11 16:29:39 +0500

The verdict in the Salmaan Taseer assassination case is in and it comes as a pleasant surprise. Eight months after Taseer’s guard, Mumtaz Qadri, should him dead in cold blood, an anti-terrorist court has found him guilty on two counts and handed down the death penalty as punishment. Justice may have been slow but it has ultimately been served. Qadri’s guilt was never in doubt. He confessed to the assassination and a possible acquittal was dependent on either convincing the judge that Taseer essentially deserved to be killed for daring to stand up for a poor Christian woman accused for blasphemy or rousing the passions of the violent religious right to such an extent that no judge would dare convict him. The verdict may be in but this is no time to let our guard down. Just because Qadri has been handed down a death sentence does not mean that the judge who had the courage to dispense justice should be given a death sentence too. The judge’s verdict was a brave one and he now needs to be given protection by the state. As for Qadri, his lawyers now have seven days to file an appeal with the high court. Given that he has a high-powered legal team, it is inevitable that the sentence will be appealed. The judges who hear the appeal will need to show the same bravery as the anti-terrorist court judge who found Qadri guilty despite the danger associated with coming to that verdict. There is also the possibility that Qadri’s freedom will be used as a bargaining chip by those who kidnapped Taseer’s son Shahbaz more than a month ago and one hope things do not come to that. Now would also be a good time to reflect on what the assassination of Salmaan Taseer has shown us about the nation. That his killer was showered with rose petals by lawyers as he made his way to court, that Qadri was treated as a hero by many and that many people essentially believe that Taseer got what was coming to him is a reflection of a country that has lost its moral bearing. And while Taseer’s killer may have been found guilty, the governor’s lonely crusade to free Aasia bibi and amend the unjust blasphemy laws has not found many takers. Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2011.

Twitter alert: Death for Salmaan Taseer's killer

Ema Anis — Sat, 01 Oct 11 06:50:49 +0500

Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, was sentenced to death on Saturday. While some people were joyous to have justice served in the country, others found the capital punishment too harsh. Here is what the local twitterati had to say about the verdict: marvisirmed One reason I was against his death sentence was, he will get clemency and roam free in another six months BhopalHouse I just can't make self approve of the death sentence, but if someone has to be on receiving end, Salmaan Taseer's killer would be my choice. samishah It's a bit weird when a death sentence being announced gives me joy and hope. alibajwa One #Qadri down how many more to go? hak103 We are nobody to decide whether justice been done with Mumtaz Qadri (particularly)or not....Only Allah knows the best BubblesAgha Mumtaz Qadri gets death sentence ... What a wonderful day ... Finally justice has been prevailed .. The Taseers stand victorious . anthonypermal Unfortunately the battle for justice in the #Qadri case is not over. They still have the opp to appeal. Sadly. #Pakistan beenasarwar Well said. @dnoorani: Let us not celebrate the death sentence ofQadri, but rather silently acknowledge that justice has been served.

Taseer murder case: Qadri sentenced to death

reuters — Sat, 01 Oct 11 05:06:04 +0500

Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, has been sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court today (Saturday). Qadri, one of Taseer’s elite force guards, shot and killed the governor for his views on the blasphemy law outside a restaurant in Islamabad. During the incamera hearing of the murder case, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) said that it was a heinous crime and there is no justification to it; however, no date has been given for the execution of the sentence. The court also fined Qadri of Rs200,000 along with the death sentence. Justice Syed Pervez Ali Shah, an ATC judge, while taking up the case at the Adiala Jail, noted down the statement of Qadri. In this statement, Qadri admitted before the judge that nobody intimidated him to murder the former governor. Raja Shujahur Rehman, Qadri’s lawyer, told the media outside Adiala Jail that his client had also submitted a written statement of 40 pages, referring to 11 Quranic verses, 28 quotes from Sunnah and several other eminent Muslim jurists with reference to Islamic jurisprudence. The defence lawyer stated that the prosecution raised no objection over the statement of Qadri, therefore the court validly admitted this statement and made it a part of the court record. Experts say that Qadri has to appeal within seven days against the verdict. Tears of anger Qadri's supporters took to the streets to denounce the sentence soon after it was handed down. "By punishing one Mumtaz Qadri, you will produce a thousand Mumtaz Qadris!" one man shouted through a megaphone outside the jail. Several hundred supporters of Qadri blocked a road outside the jail and chanted slogans. Some recited verses from the Quran while members of the Sunni Tehreek group waved their party's green and yellow flags. A Qadri supporter, wiping tears from his face, said: "We don't accept this. We don't accept this." Police were deployed at the jail gate to prevent any break-in. After Qadri was sentenced, the judge left through the back door. In Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh area, where former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007, about 1,000 angry Qadri supporters blocked a main road with burning tyres. Shouting slogans against the government and the judge who sentenced Qadri, they forced shops to shut down. Stick-wielding protesters attacked passing vehicles. "This decision was made to please the Jewish lobby," said Sahibzada Ata-ur-Rehman, a leader of the Sunni Tehreek. Qadri, a constable in the Punjab Police and a member of its Elite Force, tried to justify his murder of the governor by stating that he had killed him for supporting Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman whom Taseer had believed had been wrongly convicted of committing blasphemy. According to Qadri’s statement, he had approached the governor on the evening of January 4 and tried to talk to him about Taseer’s very public support for Aasia Bibi and his advocacy of reform – not repeal – of the blasphemy laws. _____________________________________________________ [poll id="518"]

Mumtaz Qadri’s bogus defence

Ejaz Haider — Wed, 28 Sep 11 17:36:56 +0500

The defence for Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, has adopted a simple strategy to save the remorseless killer. Taseer’s statements were “unbecoming of a Muslim” and therefore Qadri, a devout Muslim, could not control his emotions and resorted to an instantaneous act. For good measure, the court hearing the case was also told that Taseer’s statements could have inflamed the passions of any Muslim which means that even if Qadri had not committed this heroic act, someone else would have. So, Qadri’s lawyers are presenting his act as sudden provocation, automatism in legal terms, meant as a defence by negating the existence of actus reus, the actual act of committing a crime. This is supplemented by referring to religion, religious teachings and the sanctity of the Prophet (PBUH) not just to ground the automatism plea but to appeal to the court’s own conscience and piety. Implied in this is also a veiled threat that some issues stand above and beyond the law and institutional hierarchy and must be treated on a touchstone other than that which placed Taseer in a position of authority. Ironically, this effect is to be achieved by referring to Taseer’s alleged conduct as violative of the blasphemy law and the inability — or unwillingness — of the state to proceed against him which, in this case, forced Qadri to act on his own. The inevitability of Taseer’s murder is argued by the defence as “if Qadri had not killed him, someone else would have”. It should be clear that Qadri’s lawyers are cleverly relying on chunks of law even as their underlying argument is grounded in the justification of the act as being religious and supra-legal and therefore not to be judged on the basis of legalities. The problem with this defence is not just its logical inconsistency but also the fact that Qadri’s act, from what we know, does not fall under the automatism plea. He murdered Taseer in cold blood and with meticulous planning. He was waiting for an opportunity and when he found it, he unleashed his fire power on a defenceless, unsuspecting man. The questions, therefore, do not relate to provocation. Even if we factor out common legalities, we are left with at least two questions: what does the tradition say about someone killing a person he is entrusted to protect and do so through deception, which is what Qadri did? Two, is it acceptable defence under Islamic law if someone says that he executed another person because the latter had done something un-Islamic and the state didn’t act, forcing him to take the law into his own hands? My queries to some scholars tell me that the tradition is clear on both counts. For instance, most exegetes believe that the Holy Quran (8:72) points out that jihad, even against those who were opposing the Prophet (pbuh) and oppressing Muslims, was not permitted in violation of a treaty. In effect they agree that a promise or trust must be honoured. Qadri broke the trust through deception. Similarly, taking the law into one’s own hand is strictly prohibited by all mainstream Sunni jurists (for example, Qazi Abu Bakr Jassas in his Ahkam al-Quran points out that jihad or implementing hadd cannot be permitted without the authority of the ruler, in modern times the state, not the clerics and certainly not by a semi-literate policeman. On both counts the exegetes say the crime committed by Qadri may be punishable by death. This makes sense because if it is accepted that the organising principle under Islam is the state then it cannot be argued that because the state did not act an individual has the right to do so. One doesn’t need to be a logician to see the chaos such an argument would unleash on a collection of people. In fact, going by what we are witnessing, one doesn’t require conceptual finesse to understand it. There is enough empirical evidence for even a village idiot to appreciate the consequences of such an approach. But let’s assume for the sake of the argument that Taseer had crossed a line. Exegetes agree that he would still have the luxury of a trial and a defence. Let’s now assume that Qadri is right in saying that the state did not act against Taseer. He, like any other citizen of this country, could have taken the issue to the court. But he did not because he wanted to emerge a hero and in this country that means committing a spectacular act of violence in the name of Islam. He is already a hero, a murderer raised to the level of a saint that is even respected by the jail staff. Imagine if he is let off. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2011.

Salmaan Taseer case: No remorse as defence wraps up arguments

mudassir.raja — Sun, 25 Sep 11 06:10:53 +0500

In their concluding remarks on Saturday, lawyers representing Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, tried to justify the high-profile assassination by saying the governor’s conduct was “unbecoming of a Muslim”. Special Judge Anti-Terrorism Court-II Pervez Ali Shah put off the hearing in the case until October 1 after the lawyers representing Qadri said that if their client had not killed Taseer, someone else would have. Special Public Prosecutor in the case, Saiful Malook, was absent from court on Saturday, though he is likely to make the prosecuting case on the next date of hearing. Talking to the media after attending the hearing in Adiala Jail, Advocate Raja Shujaur Rehman, representing the accused, said they had argued before the court that the action of Qadri was as instantaneous as the statements of a public figure like the Punjab governor had been provocative. He added that Taseer’s conduct was against the sentiments of the common man. The lawyer said the accused himself had tried to justify his act by presenting different passages of the Quran and Islamic teachings against blasphemy. The governor’s statements against blasphemy laws, Rehman said, were also against the laws of the country but state machinery did not take any legal action against him. Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2011.

Violent obscurantism: Qadri confesses to Taseer murder in court

mudassir.raja — Sun, 18 Sep 11 05:17:56 +0500

Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed assassin of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, appeared as defiant as ever about his alleged crime and admitted in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court to having killed the governor for his views on the blasphemy law. In his first statement before the court, Qadri recorded his confession in front of Special Judge Pervaiz Ali Shah, of the Anti-Terrorism Court II in Rawalpindi. However, while the statement did not attempt to deny the murder, Qadri did appear to conform to his lawyers’ strategy of trying to avoid the death penalty by claiming that he was ‘provoked’. Qadri, a constable in the Punjab Police and a member of its Elite Force, tried to justify his murder of the governor by stating that he had killed him for supporting Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman whom Taseer had believed had been wrongly convicted of committing blasphemy. According to Qadri’s statement, he had approached the governor on the evening of January 4 and tried to talk to him about Taseer’s very public support for Aasia Bibi and his advocacy of reform – not repeal – of the blasphemy laws. After what Qadri claims was a brief verbal altercation, during which Taseer refused to back down from his stance, Qadri claims that he lost his temper and shot the governor in anger. This story about Qadri actually speaking to his victim was not revealed in any of the initial investigations and was only brought forth by his defence attorneys during a hearing on July 23. Qadri had shot the governor at close range, firing, by some accounts, at least two dozen rounds into Taseer’s body. The tone of Qadri’s statement suggested that he felt that the governor’s actions were outrageous enough for him to be killed. Far from showing any remorse, Qadri launched into a sermon-like diatribe against the governor, attempting to justify his actions by quoting passages from the Holy Quran, the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as well as precedents in Islamic law. Shujaur Rahman, one of Qadri’s lawyers, meanwhile, tried to smear the late governor’s personal character in a manner that was so disturbing as to prompt the judge and the prosecution lawyers to ask how such ad hominem attacks on the governor’s private life were relevant to the case. “He was a governor, a public office holder. He should not have acted like that and expressed views against the public sentiment,” said Rahman, apparently feeling he had adequately justified his actions. Qadri’s trial is currently being conducted in Adiala Jail for security reasons. Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2011.

The cockroach anniversary

fasi.zaka — Tue, 13 Sep 11 15:26:58 +0500

August 24 went by quietly. No one really cared to celebrate the cockroach anniversary. Compared to September 11, Altaf’s song and dance routine, and Zulfiqar’s Amitabh avatar, the 24th isn’t that important. Last year on that date, in August, I penned a piece titled “Pakistan’s human cockroaches”, a polemic aimed not at the state, the military or any foreign power, but at the people of Pakistan. I had seen, late at night, the brutal murder of Muneeb and Mughees at the hands of ordinary Pakistanis in Sialkot on YouTube. For several days, I couldn’t sleep. And that was the day I wrote my first article while I was in a seething rage. It set off a chain reaction, making it one of the most shared articles on social media in Pakistan, getting mentions in The New York Times and the BBC. The reaction was overwhelmingly negative. For a while, it seemed as if I was public enemy number one. The Express Tribune had a score of articles criticising the piece; Talat Hussain suggested I move to another country. Given the brouhaha surrounding the article, I sat down this year wondering what I had learnt from the whole episode. First, I learned that I may never be shocked by brutality again. When I saw the video of the rangers killing Sarfaraz Shah in Karachi, I wasn’t moved. It’s as if all my empathy drained out never to return after the Sialkot murders. I think I have spotted a trend; the dead will almost always be accused of thievery or worse. Second, I learned that things will keep getting worse. In their anger, readers missed the central point I made in the last paragraph of “Pakistan’s human cockroaches”. I wrote “Truth is, there is only one way to get change, and it’s not hanging the people who killed these boys. It is raising your voice to contradict people who advocate death for others, no matter who they are speaking of.” Later in the article I had suggested that people try it and see just how difficult it is. By that I meant challenging the cycle of justifying extremism casually, that even ordinary people do. Kill Jews, kill Ahmadis, kill Christians or finding excuses for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and their murderous mission. Just three months later, Salmaan Taseer is killed for trying to raise his voice, and then Shahbaz Taseer was kidnapped. Third, and this is almost superfluous, I learnt how blinkered expatriate Pakistani’s are. Their sense of patriotism seems to emanate from a flight guilt complex. Pakistani Swiss bankers wrote to express their rage, but continued to work in a country where minarets are banned. Patriots who justify the killings in Balochistan, the missing people and silence on other ills find that honour is more important than the life of someone killed extra-judicially. Fourth, I learned that self reflection remains an elusive dream. Any argument about how bad things are at home, seem to be excused by others who suggest its worse in other countries. Fifth, I learned that it’s getting harder and harder to express sorrow. In the multitude of excesses that has shocked people since, there is only so many times we can use the prose, “First they came for the Shias… I was silent because I wasn’t a Shia”, or the “Today I am ashamed to be a ….” Sixth, I learned that Pakistanis who do nothing but defend the indefensible almost always absolve their guilt by pointing to the greatness and the work of Edhi and Imran Khan. Unfortunately, their great work doesn’t absolve other’s sins. My only regret? Using the word cockroaches; at the time of writing, I did not know of its insidious use in the Rwandan context, something I am sorry for. I would now substitute the errant word with ostriches, who are incorrectly supposed to duck their heads in sand rather than face a problem. So what did happen this August 24? Ansar Abbasi wrote a plaintive appeal to his country in the wake of the death of his mother, because he believes that his motherland is on its way to its demise if it doesn’t change. The left and right agree, one year on. Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2011.