Pakistan

Taseer murder case: “Inspirational” clerics given bail

Police will now be unable to question the two suspects till January 25.

Express January 21, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Mufti Hanif Qureshi and Qari Imtiaz Shah, the two clerics suspected of motivating Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the self confessed killer of former Punjab governor Salmar Taseer, were granted pre-arrest bail against surety bonds worth Rs200,000 by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Police will now be unable to question the two suspects till January 25 despite the fact that they were wanted for investigations to ascertain if they had motivated Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri into killing the Punjab governor.

At the same time, the court directed the two suspects, through their counsel Shuja-ur-Rehman, to cooperate with the police in investigations of the case. The counsel for the suspects argued before the court that his clients were not involved in motivating Qadri.

‘The FIR did not mention their names as well," Rehman, the counsel for the suspects, pleaded before the court.

He maintained that the two clerics were innocent and complained that they were being harassed by the police. Earlier, the police were denied warrants to arrest the suspects by the court on grounds of incomplete evidence.

It is believed that the investigation team was divided on the actual intentions of the two clerics in motivating Qadri. Some police officials believed the clerics were not directly involved in provoking Qadri into killing governor Taseer. Others thought they were.

‘The investigators had obtained a CD showing Qadri in attendance at Qari Hanif’s sermon on blasphemy. In his speech, the cleric had referred Taseer as a ‘Governor of Yazid’ while comparing him to a governor in Hazrat Umar’s (R.A.) time’ said a police source.

‘He was directly instigating hatred against Taseer which would have motivated Qadri to kill the former governor’ added the official. Police officials close to the investigations, however, said that the two clerics were likely to be acquitted by the court since the evidence against them were not strong enough.

Meanwhile, the capital police seem likely to submit an interim challan against Qadri in court by Saturday. The challan was not complete since the investigations under section 109 could not be concluded, say police officials.

‘Section 109 requires us to arrest and investigate all those people who were directly involved in provoking and motivating the killer’ said an official.

The police officials said they were also waiting for forensic reports and medical examination tests to complete the challan. However, an interim challan showing Qadri’s confession in police custody and his revelations during physical remand will be presented to the court, they added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2011.

COMMENTS (12)

Tanweer Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Whenever a Muslim commits a crime, performs an illegal or immoral deed, He does so against Namoos-e-Risalat. In todays high speed media world, his act is not seen as an individual's act. But it is immediately branded as an act of a Muslim, hence Islam and its founder is held responsible. Doesn't that bringing bad name to Islam and the Holy Prophet (SAW) amounts to blasphemy?

mussarat Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply Inspirational clerics given bail by Pakistani court. Nothing new. As I mentioned earlier, Pakistani judiciary is scared of terrorists and religous clericks because they are "inter-linked". Tell me honestly, how many terrorists have so far been ordered capital punishment by the Pakistani courts. As far as I remember during my entire service as journalist "none", not a single one that encouraged terrorists and promoted terrorism in the country. Like former dictator Musharraf, Judiciary is also running with hares and hunting with the hounds. Judges of the Superior courts know very well that stringent security is only available to them when they are in service and after they are retired, they will be at the mercy of "Terrorists", so it is better to have "cordial relations" with them while in service that would be cashed in after they retire from Government service. A number of journalists were killed in different cities of Pakistan. Tell me very honestly has any one been awarded Capital Punishment for killing journalists, the fresh being the assassins of Wali Khan Babr of the GEO News who still remain at large. I also remember that assassins of WSJ journalist Daniel Pearl were intercepted owing to pressure from the US government otherwise killers of Danny would also be at large till date. We all endorse anti-Blasphemy law and firmly believe in the finality of the Holy Prophet (SAW) but it definitely needs certain modification to delete certain clause introduced by the former one-eyed dictator for prolonging diabolic rule. Only courts should be allowed to decided as to who is "infidel" and even courts should also study attitude and behaviour of the Holy Prophet (SAW) with the infidels and non-muslims in His era, before doing justice. Nation needs justice and not the bigoted verdict of Jamat Islami which is already banned in the world's biggest Islamic State Bangladesh. Rest assure we are not living the Secular Pakistan as visioned by the Father of the Nation, but this is the Pakistan Zia Ul Haq, that needs complete overhauling of ideologies. Only cursing United States and other civilised socieities or carrying out terrorism on their soil will neither serve humanity nor Islam. Mussarat Hussain Baltimore

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Aamir+Ali | 13 years ago | Reply The anti-terrorism laws need to be strengthened so that terrorists and their supporters cannot get bail and remain behind bars.

M M Malik | 13 years ago | Reply We Muslims will be held responsible by Allah for failing to educate the world of the highest spiritual station of our holy Prophet (saw). Our presents deeds need a very major reformation to follow the true path. Namoos-e-Risalat can only be defended by reforming ourselves and not by killing people for blasphemy.

Sharjeel Jawaid | 13 years ago | Reply Such persons should be booked under PPC 307

someone@london | 13 years ago | Reply Babruk is right. we must fight the new MULLAH gang(besides others)):

n | 13 years ago | Reply LOL, I like the way this guy blew the cover of Mullahs. Unfortunately, poor Taseer had to pay the price ...but it seems that turned out to be in national interest. Hopefully, the hyperly emotional speeches will reduce and ultimately the youth will not be so driven into killing people or becoming suicide bombers for that matter.

Hassan Bajwa | 13 years ago | Reply What i find particularly hilarious is the fact that these two men have been released on the grounds of "incomplete evidence". Why is it that this very court cannot get itself to release those accused of blasphemy on the same grounds? If video taped evidence is considered "incomplete evidence" then should not the hysterical accusations of illiterate village women and local mullah thugs be considered even MORE "incomplete"?? That the courts can release the likes of these mullahs and even evident criminals like Maulana (aunty) Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid infamy based on the "lack of evidence" yet succeed in passing a death sentence on people based on nothing more than the subjective accusation of blasphemy clearly shows how much sway extremist elements have in our judicial system. In a blasphemy case, the alleged blasphemy is never repeated in court and there is no review whether the alleged blasphemy even qualifies as blasphemy. The sentence is passed based entirely on the subjective testimony of the accuser who decides whether the accused committed blasphemy or not. And they have the gall to call this justice?? The courts are not just... they are naught but a farce.

Hasan | 13 years ago | Reply What is wrong with our nation?

Sandy | 13 years ago | Reply It was on cards ! Where advocates are pro Qadri there you can expect the direction of the case

Shahryar Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Great, our future is very bright!!!!!!!

Babruk | 13 years ago | Reply ppp's cowardice. the govt. is too cowardly to take a stand and confront the mulla brigade. one day this gradual retreat would result in a total surrender. it will be a mullaistan where minorities would be persecuted, insulted and killed. those muslims who don't agree with the mullas would be condemned and killed in the name of Islam. fellow citizens, if you don't want such a scenario then stand up.

Replying to X