The crowd in Rawalpindi set up a cordon preventing the judge from leaving for Islamabad for the hearing. — Photo by AP
ISLAMABAD: A planned court appearance for Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the killer of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, ran into chaos on Thursday as extremist supporters prevented an attempt to re-locate the session, witnesses said.
Mumtaz Qadri, who was assigned to Salman Taseer’s security detail and confessed to the killing, was charged and ordered to appear before the Anti-Terrorist Court in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
But as a growing crowd of extremist lawyers and madrassah students descended on the building in support of Qadri, authorities instead drove him to a makeshift court hastily set up in a heavily protected building in Islamabad.
But the crowd in Rawalpindi set up a cordon in protest, preventing the judge from leaving for Islamabad, lawyers and an AFP reporter said.
“We requested the judge that legally he cannot go to Islamabad to hear the accused and he accepted our request,” lawyer Malik Waheed Anjum told reporters.
“The judge ordered Islamabad police to present the accused in his court in Rawalpindi,” he added.
More than seven hours after journalists first gathered at the Rawalpindi court for the expected hearing, Qadri finally arrived and was feted with rose petals by supporters for the second day running.
Police officials in Islamabad were unavailable for comment
I think court should delay the hearing for 2-3 months with hope that the case won't be as hot otherwise extremists will keep charging the courts and try to influence the decision.
Why even bother given him trial? Just shot him and get over with it. This scumbag does not deserve to live.
And make him a martyr? I think not. He needs to be given the stiffest sentence possible for his crime, but it has to be meted out by the Judicial system. Now is not the time to further circumvent Justice system or it might be seen as vengeance by present majority Government. Remember President is already rumored to be on bad terms with SC. You would not want to make that impression permanent by allowing such an event.
The hearing should be scheduled regardless of all threats. Anyone who prevents the hearing from taking place can very well be counted as accessory to the murder and booked as well.
Lets not stop there though, continue the good trend seeing how willing the Govt. is in going after this murderer and go after the big wigs and spread justice on a full spectrum. People are just sick and tired of connectionless murderers being served cold justice, but those will connections and immunity getting to have a free lunch on the law. It needs to be fair all across. One law for all.
The rule of is paramount. A functioning judiciary exists even with its flaws. There are witnesses and the rest. It should be over quickly but the rule of law should be obeyed.