Qadri sentencing arouses ire

KARACHI - Scores of protesters were injured and at least 40 arrested on Sunday when police fired shots, tear gas shells and used truncheons and water cannons to stop activists of the Sunni Tehreek (ST) from reaching Tibet Centre to record their reservations over the death sentence to Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. After noon prayers, a large number of ST workers started gathering at Kinzul Iman Mosque in Gurumandir area to commence their protest, across the metropolis, over the capital punishment to Qadri. The slogan We dont accept this verdict reverberated city streets. The protesters, who were carrying placards inscribed with writings in favour of their demands, also railed against the government and the anti-terrorism court judge, who handed down the sentence to the former governors killer. Heavy contingents of law enforcement agencies (LEA) were deployed to stop the protestors from heading towards places other than those designated for holding demonstrations. Witnesses said when policemen resorted to violent tactics as many as seven demonstrators were wounded. Up to 100 ST activists were also arrested, they added. Most of them were released and only 40 remained in police custody until the filing of this report. The judgmnet on the high profile assassination case has incited widespread denunciation and protests across the country. Talking to TheNation, ST leader Shahid Ghouri, while condemning the courts ruling, demanded the government to release Qadri. It had released Americas Central Investigation Agency (CIA) agent Raymond Davis although he had killed two innocent civilians in Lahore. It should also set Qadri free, asserted Ghouri, adding that the decision of the court to hang Qadri has sent a wave of anger among the general populace and activists of politico-religious parties. The ST leader also said that they were ready to give blood money to the family of Taseer. Qadri did not kill Salmaan Taseer. But he had killed his ideology over the blasphemy law when he (Taseer) spoke of the law. Several religious parties had asked the government to take notice of it and start legal proceedings against him. As these demands had been ignored, the faithful Qadri acted upon his own and punished Taseer for his remarks. The ST leader alleged that the very decision was made to appease Jewish lobby. We dont accept it (decision) because it is a political decision of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, asserted Ghouri. During the protests, ST activists also recited verses from the holy Quran as they waved their party flags. By punishing one Mumtaz Qadri you will produce a thousand Qadris, chanted the protesters as they raised their hands together in agreement. Sever traffic chaos was witnessed because roads and streets leading to Gurumandir area were blacked with containers, barricades and police vans. An ST worker on the condition of anonymity said that to our government, rallies against the threats by the United States were not a violation of Section 144, but STs rally in favour of Qadri was. A number of leaders and activists of the ST staged a sit-in against the arrest of their colleagues on MA Jinnah Road for several hours. However, after assurances from police high-ups for release of their colleagues, they ended their sit-in. Salmaan Taseer had been assassinated in Islamabad on January 4.