The Supreme Court finally closed the Mumtaz Qadri chapter by declaring him a murderer of Salmaan Taseer
JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: The January 4 death anniversary of Salmaan Taseer turned out a bit different than those of previous years. The Supreme Court had finally closed the Mumtaz Qadri chapter by declaring him a murderer. Qadri had gunned down the then-governor of Punjab and proudly accepted the crime. Religious parties, which always look for a platform to divide the nation, made him a hero and he was garlanded by Rawalpindi’s lawyers. The anti-terrorism court judge who sentenced Qadri was forced to flee the country and Qadri was permitted to spread his poisonous thoughts even in jail. The Lahore High Court even tried to water down the case by removing the anti-terror clauses against Qadri. All of these attempts failed and the Supreme Court declared its landmark verdict on October 7, 2015, that what Taseer did was not a blasphemous act and Qadri should be considered a murderer, not a hero.
The task is still unfinished. Although Qadri will be hanged sooner or later, what about those so-called religious ‘scholars’ who brainwashed him and the sectarian outfits who are using this verdict to advance their agenda of hatred? Religious and sectarian parties are taking out rallies in support of Qadri and religio-political parties earlier used his portraits during the local government elections campaign in Karachi. Salmaan Taseer’s son, Shahbaz, who was kidnapped in August 2011, is still held by terrorists and many who may have been falsely accused of blasphemy continue to languish in jail.
For some, the hanging of Qadri may be considered a delivery of justice, but for me, there is still a long way to go. We are only cutting the branches now; the poisonous roots are deep in the ground, safe and intact.
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2016.
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