The news of Mumtaz Qadri’s death sentence met a mixed reaction from the public on Saturday, most people hailed the court’s verdict while some termed it an injustice.
Those in favor called it a milestone in establishing writ of the state while others declared it a design from the
‘enemies of Islam’ and threatened to produce more “Qadris” if the sentence was not annulled. “Mumtaz Qadri sentenced to death. Long Live Shaheed Salman Taseer!” wrote blogger Usama Kabbir. “So the Pindi ATC sentences Qadri to death by hanging for the murder of Salmaan Taseer. It will go into appeal of course, and although I oppose the death penalty, I agree that the “sentence itself is good because it shows there are good men with courage. Start worrying for the safety of the judge”, tweeted human rights activist and journalist Beena Sarwar.
Rab Nawaz, an activist of anti-extremism movement Khudi, said the major issue Pakistan was facing was the failure to establish writ of the state. He expressed satisfaction at the ATC’s decision, saying that it had come from a judiciary that had been accused of freeing extremists. The Minorities Wing of the Pakistan People’s Party welcomed the verdict given by the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court and said this showed that the courts were free in Pakistan.
Minorities leader Napolean Qayyum in a press statement said that justice had been served with the death sentence to Mumtaz Qadri, adding that the decision would promote sense of security in the minority communities of the country. “The minorities also wish to reiterate their support to the Taseer family for standing up to religious extremism and pray that their sacrifice will not go in vain,” he said. An engineering student Janbaz Ali Sheikh said that Qadri deserved to be hanged hence the decision was commendable, adding that anyone taking law in his own hands should be punished this way.
Punjab University student Chen Zaib, however, criticized the decision saying it was a very unfortunate verdict and the court must have taken into consideration the statement of Salman Taseer who, according to Chen Zaib had hurt billions of Muslims by calling blasphemy law a “black law” and supporting Aasia Bibi despite the court’s decision in her regard.
CMH Medical College student Ahmad Raza was of the opinion that when a person issued a blasphemous statement against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it was obligatory for the Muslim state to punish him and if the state failed to do so then it was the duty of each Muslim to kill the blasphemer.