ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Former chief justice Lahore High Court and legal counselor of Mumtaz Qadri, who had killed former governor Salman Tasee, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif argued that Taseer had hurt the feelings of Muslims by declaring blasphemy law as ‘black law’.
During the hearing of Taseer’s murder case former top judge quoted the attackers of french magazine Charlie Hebdo as heroes before a two member bench in Islamabad High Court.
The bench observed how Qadri, who was a police commando, could take the law into his own hand while the blasphemy law already exists in the country. “How can an officer determine who is infidel. There is a law and nobody can be allowed to take the law into his own hands,” said Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, a member of the bench.
Religion has been interpreted by people in different ways, he said, adding that people might get killed for having minor differences in the days to come. “Did Qadri make any effort to bring the person whom he considered a blasphemer before the court,” he questioned.
The defence counsel, however, argued that Taseer was the governor at that time and under Article 248 of the Constitution, action could not be taken against a governor or the president.
Justice (retd) Mian Nazir Akhtar, another counsel for Qadri, said his client had confessed to killing Taseer and justified it by saying the governor was a blasphemer. However, Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi observed that the law has to be followed instead of taking it into one’s own hands.
While addressing the counsel, the judges said if his argument was bought, then everyone has a licence to kill. “Everyone will then use a weapon instead of following the legal course,” he added.
The human life has been described as more sacred than the House of God, he said adding that the law was misused in the case of Christian girl Rimsha Masih who was accused of burning pages from the Holy Quran. The court adjourned the hearing until February 6 when Qadri’s defence team is expected to wrap up its arguments.
