No one is surprised by the reluctance shown by federal government’ law officers to take up governor Salman Taseer’ murder case. Though an Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) has already awarded him capital punishment in 2011, his counsel, Khawaja Sharif, ex-Chief Justice (CJ) of Lahore High Court has challenged the ATC verdict and requested a mental check. Everyone knows that the ATC judge, who earlier sentenced Qadri had to flee the country to save his life. One of the judges, who will hear Sharif’ petition, Shaukat Aziz Siddique, is ex-lawyer of Lal Masjid clerics, in their case against Pakistani state. Even a layman can connect the dots. Ex-CJ volunteered his services free of cost, out of religious zeal, while the presiding judge had affiliation with Lal Masjid!
It is reported that Qadri enjoys full protocol in Adala Jail where his religious lectures are attended not only by inmates but prison security officers as well. In the jail, Qadri is the sole prosecutor and judge of the prisoners incarnated, either as accused or convicted, on blasphemy charges. Last October a jail officer, brain washed by Qadri, attacked and seriously injured a blasphemy convict, Mohammed Asghar who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
I wonder why we are wasting time and effort of federal government’ lawyers in this review petition hearing —- Mumtaz Qadri is a hero for many Pakistanis, why don’t we just release him to continue his preaching of hatred. We should feel ashamed calling girls education activist Malala, Nobel Laureate Dr. Abdus Salam, Governor Salman Taseer, Shaheedstudent Aititaz Hasan, lawyer Rashid Rehman as our heroes. Our real heroes are Osama Bin Laden of Al-Qaeda, Mullah Omar of Afghan Taliban, Hakeemullah Mehsud of TTP, Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi of Daesh, Abu-Bakr Shekau of BokoHaram. Don’t know when will we stop fooling ourselves. But one thing is clear, eventually hatred eats its own creator.
MASOOD KHAN,
Saudi Arab, January 25.