Join Madni Madia Ghazi | Islamabad dharne ko police ne ghair liya hai ager muzaqraat nakaam hue to kuch bhi ho sakta Join Madni Media Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri (1985 – February 29, 2016), better known as Mumtaz Qadri, was a Pakistani policeman and commando of Elite Police who was convicted of the assassination of Salman Taseer. He murdered Taseer for speaking in favour of Asia Bibi.[1] In 2014 a Sunni mosque was built in Islamabad named after Mumtaz Qadri.[2] Contents [hide] 1 Life and career 2 Murder 2.1 Arrest and execution 3 Reaction to the execution 4 Funeral 5 References Life and career Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He joined Punjab Police in 2002 and because of exceptional performance became member of Elite Police in 2007. In 2010, he joined the squad for the security of former Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer.[1] Murder On 4 January 2011, he opened fire and killed former Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer at Kohsar Market in Islamabad after he spoke in favor of Asia Bibi who was charged with blasphemy according to the Blasphemy law in Pakistan. Qadri killed Taseer with 25 bullets when serving as his bodyguard. Immediately after the killing, Mumtaz Qadri surrendered. Arrest and execution On 6 January 2011 Qadri was arrested and held in custody on a five-day remand. He appeared in court on 9 January 2011 and confessed that he killed Salman Taseer because of the latter's criticism of the blasphemy law. During his appearance in court over 300 lawyers offered to do his case for free.[3] On 10 January 2011, he was sent to Adiala Jail on 14 day judicial remand. Due to security issues his case was held in Adiala Jail on 14 January 2011. He was charged with the murder of the Governor of Punjab. On 10 October 2011, court issued death warrant of Mumtaz Qadri. He filed an appeal against his death warrant in Islamabad High Court on 6 October 2011 and the appeal was admitted on 11 October 2011.[4] Justice Dost Mohammad rhetorically queried whether the accused, a uniformed officer, was entitled to take the law into his own hands and murder the victim (who was under Qadri's protection).[5] The appeal filed by Mumtaz Qadri was rejected in December 2015,[6] and he was hanged on 29 February 2016 at 4:30 AM at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.[7] Reaction to the execution Protests began immediately by the Sunni Islamist fundamentalist organisations all over the country against the execution. Activists protested in major cities of Pakistan, including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Lawyers in Islamabad called one day strike against the decision. Sunni Tehreek announced protests all over the country. Metrobus Rawalpindi-Islamabad was also suspended due to the protests in the city. Markets and business centres were closed and disturbance in traffic was reported in different locations of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.[8] The adulation that Qadri receieved following his execution has been compared to that given to Ilm-ud-din, who murdered a blasphemous book publisher in 1929.[9] However a lot of people also supported the decision as well. Council of Islamic Ideology chairman Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani said that Mumtaz Qadri’s act — though driven by religious sentiments — was illegal because he had taken the law into his own hands and he faced punishment because “no one is above the law”.[10] According to The Economist, "Qadri’s supporters claimed he was hanged on February 29th, a date which comes round every four years, in order to deny him an anniversary."[9] Funeral Mumtaz Qadri funeral was held on 1 March 2016 at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.[11] According to an estimate, the funeral was attended by over 6000000 people including Hamid Saeed Kazmi. Such was the "groundswell of support" for Qadri that the government prevented news services from broadcasting his funeral.[9] It was noted that Barelvis—usually associated with a more moderate strain of South Asian Islam—attended the funeral "in huge numbers."[9] Qadri was laid to rest in a village Bara Kahu in Islamabad.

• published: 29 Mar 2016
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