Day after historic SC ruling, #IamMumtazQadri trends in Pakistan

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the death sentence of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s killer, Mumtaz Qadri, has reignited a debate on one of the most controversial topics in Pakistan -- blasphemy.

During the hearing, the country’s top court questioned whether individuals had the right to punish ‘blasphemers’ and also observed that criticising the blasphemy law did not amount to blasphemy.

Unsurprisingly, the hashtag #IamMumtazQadri started trending in Pakistan a day after the ruling. Surprisingly, the Supreme Court's ruling seems to have shifted opinion and sparked a larger debate over the controversial issue.

Read: SC upholds death sentence for Salmaan Taseer's killer

Many Pakistanis used the hashtag to tweet in support of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold Qadri's death penalty.

Read: SC questions whether individuals have authority to punish blasphemers

However, there were many many who were still showering Qadri with metaphorical rose petals on Twitter despite the Supreme Court's historic decision.

On the other hand, some were simply dumbfounded that the hashtag was trending.

Qadri shot dead the former Punjab governor outside a cafe after lunch in Islamabad in January 2011 because he objected to Taseer’s calls to reform the blasphemy law.