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AWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (ANS – Feb. 29, 2016) — heaps of human beings have protested throughout Pakistan following the execution of Mumtaz Qadri, the former police bodyguard who in 2011 ruthlessly shot dead Punjab’s governor, Salman Taseer, over his help for Christian mother, Asia Bibi, and his competition to the us of a’s arguable blasphemy laws.
Jail officials stated that Qadri was achieved at 04:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, close to the capital, Islamabad, and once the news turned into out, his supporters took to the streets in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and also blocked highways into Islamabad.
Demonstrators burned tires and chanted slogans, at the same time as faculties and markets in Islamabad and close by Rawalpindi closed early over fears of violence. But, maximum rallies dispersed peacefully, the AFP news company pronounced.
In step with the BBC, Qadri, who had skilled as an elite police commando and became assigned to Taseer as his bodyguard, shot the flesh presser at an Islamabad market in January 2011. He become sentenced to demise later that year.
Security forces have been on high alert and insurrection police have been in vicinity inside the location around Qadri’s domestic in Islamabad.
The British Pakistani Christian association (BPCA) stated in a record monitored through the assist news carrier that Qadri by no means repented of his crime stating it became retaliation for the vocal opposition of the ‘holy’ blasphemy legal guidelines of Pakistan and Governor Taseer’s guide for freedom for Asia Bibi, who Mr Qadri refers to as a kaffir (infidel) and blasphemer.
“The family of Mr. Qadri have been secretly ushered to the prison during Sunday night under pretext that he was unwell, in an try to save you mass hysteria. A media blackout become also in place stopping the news achieving supporters of Mr. Qadri all through the anxious early moments after his death,” said a BPCA spokesperson.
He went on to say, “The Muslim felony fraternity of Pakistan, on listening to approximately Mr. Qadri’s hanging, right away declared a one-day strike. This was later matched by using a name for national protests in guide of a ‘Muslim Hero and martyr,’ by the leader of Sunni Tehreek, a Muslim political wing of the Barelvi sect of Islam.
“Mumtaz Qadri is held in high esteem with the aid of the developing quantity of conservative Muslims in Pakistan. He made history while he obtained the most important range of Valentines cards of any Pakistani at some point of a courtroom hearing on February 14th, 2011. During the listening to he turned into garlanded with plants and praises had been sung about his killing of Governor Taseer and [for] returning honor to Islam.
“A mosque in Islamabad become named after Mumtaz Qadri and as a consequence unexpectedly grew to double its unique size.”
BPCA stated that Christian groups have “locked their houses with households hidden appropriately interior, more different Christians have travelled to households in more rural areas, hoping to break out the furor and rioting in the cities.”
Pakistani journalist, Shamim Masih, stated “The Christians of Pakistan are in outstanding fear and want the authorities to make certain their safety. Threats have already been made to Christian groups and people who have fled their houses to get away to more rural regions will absolute confidence go back to locate their houses had been looted. Christians bear in mind the attacks at the groups of Shati Nagar, Gojra and St Jospeh’s colony have been mob violence led to lack of lives, houses and church buildings.
“in addition they take into account the current bomb attacks in Peshawar and Lahore, they do no longer agree with extremist and conservative Muslims need a good deal of a cause to assault them and experience the contemporary weather is developing exceptional animosity in the direction of them.”
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA, requested: “What risk do Christians have for his or her survival in a state that overtly places hero repute on murderers. Mumtaz Qadri changed into involved inside the heinous murder of Governor Taseer, an act that traumatized Pakistan and taken to mild the volume extremism and hatred closer to minorities in Pakistan.
“This man enjoyed privileges while in Pakistani prisons that few reap and turned into capable of spread his evil ideology inside jail regularly coercing wardens to punish the ones worried in blasphemy cases – which contributed to the dying of a British prisoner. Most alarmingly the felony fraternity of Pakistan have pop out in assist for Mr. Qadri and declared a one-day strike, an act that is a clear indictment of the extremism that is ubiquitous all through all tiers of Pakistani Muslim society.
“The few voices of liberality in Pakistan could have an uphill war making the kingdom one that is egalitarian, yet within the in the meantime western international locations including Britain have deduced that Christians in Pakistan hardly ever face persecution, a judgement that has caused the re-persecution of hundreds of Pakistani Christians stranded in Thailand.”
He delivered: “Pakistan’s cutting-edge government ought to be recommended for their efforts toward upholding justice in this landmark judicial technique. Something one thinks of death sentences it is the prevailing law in Pakistan and to carry it to fruition on this way has been a brave choice. The putting of Mumtaz Qadri illustrates that justice is potential and that terrorists can not hide behind their faith and public aid and that former impunity has been terminated.”
in the meantime, Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian mother-of-five, who become convicted of blasphemy (which she denies) through a Pakistani court, and acquired a sentence of death by striking, is awaiting her attraction against the dying sentence.
Christian minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti become also killed for advocating on her behalf and opposing the blasphemy laws.