That the judge had to leave the country is admission that the state and the government could not protect him.
ISLAMABAD: The district and sessions judge, Pervez Ali Shah, who had handed two death sentences to Mumtaz Qadri for killing Punjab governor Salman Taseer has left for Saudi Arabia along with his family after receiving death threats from extremists. His verdict to Qadri stated: “No one can be given the licence to kill anyone in any condition; therefore, the killer cannot be pardoned as he has committed a heinous crime”. This verdict did not satisfy extremist groups in the country as a result of which the judge had to leave the country, along with his family.
The matter clearly shows the very high levels of intolerance prevalent in our society and also the lack of authority exercised by the government. That the judge had to leave the country is admission that the state and the government could not protect him. Along with that, this development shows a complete contempt for the law and an unfortunate failure of the government to enforce it.
FZ Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2011.
