Rally demands release of ‘Ghazi Mumtaz Qadri’

Karachi
Various religious parties staged a joint rally on M A Jinnah Road after the Friday prayer to put pressure on the government to release “Ghazi Mumtaz Qadri”, the convicted murderer of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
The rally was held under the auspices of the Sunni Tehreek.
Mumtaz Qadri’s death sentence was upheld by the Islamabad High Court last Monday for killing Taseer in 2011. However, the court declared Qadri’s death sentence under the Anti- Terrorism Act, 1997, null and void.
Through different resolutions, the rally demanded Qadri’s release and a trial in the Federal Shariat Court.
Speakers at the rally said those who called Qadri a terrorist would be taken to task.
ST chief Sarwat Ejaz Qadri said the punishment announced by the IHC was against the constitution of Pakistan and negated Shariah. He asserted that it was the duty of the court to provide justice to the masses.
He said the government misled the court intentionally by not presenting the slain governor’s statement and video relevant to the trial.
The ST leader said his party would continue efforts legally and within the preview of the constitution to get Qadri released. He maintained that the rally had established that there would be no compromise on the blasphemy laws.
The blockade of M A Jinnah Road, one the busiest arteries in the city, created problems for commuters and pedestrians.