Mumtaz Qadri appeals against death sentence

The Pakistani anti-terror court on Saturday found Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, one of Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s bodyguards, guilty of murder and sentenced him to death.

Qadri confessed to shooting Taseer dead outside an upmarket coffee shop close to his residence in the leafy capital Islamabad on January 4. He said he objected to the politician s calls to amend the blasphemy law, which mandates the death penalty for those convicted of blasphemy.

 ”Today we have filed an appeal in Islamabad high court against the verdict and have challenged Qadri s death sentence,” Shuja-ur-Rehman, one of Qadri’s lawyers, said.

“The anti-terrorism court was not the competent authority to sentence him, this decision is illegal and baseless.”

 Rehman said a preliminary hearing for his appeal had been fixed for Tuesday.

The killing of Taseer was the most high-profile political assassination in Pakistan since former prime minister Benazir Bhutto died in a gun and suicide attack in December 2007.

Lahore: Police launch search operation for Shahbaz Taseers recovery

The search operation for Shahbaz Taseer’s recovery continued in different areas of Lahore during late hours of Friday while two detained persons were released after investigation.

According to the sources, a heavy contingent of police is launching search operation in Defence, Model Town, Gulberg and the adjacent areas.

Police are launching search operation on the basis of information by different sources; however, no breakthrough has been made so far.
Meanwhile, two suspected persons arrested from the crime scene were released after investigation and no information could be found from them.

On the other hand, DIG (Operations) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, while, visiting Taseer’s family, disclosed that certain development has been made regarding the incident.

Dogar added that the details cannot be disclosed to the media yet as it is matter of somebody’s life and death.

Salman Taseers son kidnapped

Four men on motorbikes intercepted Shahbaz Taseer in his car in the Gulberg area and took him to a nearby street before whisking him away, police said, quoting witnesses.

“Shabhaz was out with a friend when four unidentified people kidnapped him,” his brother Sheryar Taseer told.

“Our family has been receiving threats from the Taliban and extremist groups,” he said, adding they could be behind the abduction. No one has yet claimed the responsibility.

The governor, Salman Taseer, of the ruling Pakistan People s Party, was killed by his own bodyguard early this year after he came out in support of a woman accused of committing blasphemy.

Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of four, was sentenced to death in a case stemming from a village dispute, putting Pakistan s harsh blasphemy law in the spotlight. Shahbaz Taseer s abduction is the second high-profile kidnapping in Lahore this month.

Police are still searching for an American aid expert who was kidnapped about two weeks ago.

Warren Weinstein, 70, the country director for J.E. Austin Associates Inc., had been working on a project in Pakistan s northwestern tribal areas where Pakistani troops have been battling Islamist insurgents for years.

Up to eight assailants kidnapped Weinstein in a pre-dawn raid on his house in Lahore on August 13.

Zulfiqar Mirzas vacation end on July 4: Sharjeel

Talking to newsmen in Hyderabad press club, Sharjeel Memon said that Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had applied for one-month extension in his vacation on June 4 which would end on July 4.

He said that Rangers were deployed to defend Karachi and there would be no use of keeping them away.

He said people question that suo moto notice was taken and DG Rangers and DIG Karachi were removed after the incident of Sarfraz but neither suo moto notice was taken nor a single SP was suspended in Punjab when a policeman murdered former Punjab Governor.

He said Nawaz Sharif was responsible for crisis as he kept on delaying the Thar-Coal project.

Sharjeel said that statements of ‘liable to be murdered’ were made for Salman Taseer and now same statements were being made for Babar Awan.

He concluded that local bodies’ elections would be held after betterment in law and order situation.

Latif Khosa appointed new Punjab governor, notification issued

Senator Sardar Latif Khosa has been appointed as the new Punjab governor and notification has been issued in this regard on Tuesday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani advised President Asif Ali Zardari to appoint Senator Sardar Latif Khosa as Punjab governor after the murder of Salman Taseer in Islamabad.

According to details, Gilani sent a summary to President Asif Ali Surdari for the appointment of Khosa as the Punjab governor. President Asif Ali Zardari held day-long discussions with senior party leaders at Bilawal House to finalize the name for the Punjab governor. Earlier, Latif Khosa had a meeting with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad. Latif Khosa has also served as Attorney General of Pakistan and advisor to the Prime Minister.

Latif Khosa Appointed as Punjab Governor

ISLAMABAD, trendpk: President Asif Ali Zardari appointed close aide Latif Khosa to succeed the murdered governor of the Punjab province Salman Taseer on recommendation by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Earlier, President Zardari held consultations with senior leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in connection with the appointment of Punjab governor at Bilawal House in Karachi. The announcement was made public after an elaborate meeting between Latif Khosa and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, which was held on January 9.

Later on the same date, the PM Gilani sent to President Zardari the summary with recommendation for appointing Latif Khosa as new Punjab governor. According to President House’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, Presdient Zardari today signed the summary.

Analysts say Khosa will try to avoid antagonising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to tamp down disputes that have paralysed the federal government. Though soft-spoken and non-confontational, he is an ardent supporter of the PPP.

Khosa is the successor of Salman Taseer, the outspoken governor of the central province of Punjab, who was gunned down by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on Tuesday for supporting changes in the country’s blasphemy law.

Khosa said earlier on Saturday that Zardari had called him along with Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar and Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh for a meeting in Karachi.

“I will accept whatever the decision of my leadership,” he said.

Taseer was fiery and often clashed publicly with Nawaz and his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif. Khosa, on the other hand, is soft-spoken and non-confrontational. But he is an ardent supporter of the PPP.

Khosa’s appointment comes just one day before an ultimatum given by Nawaz Sharif to Zardari’s government on Tuesday to accept a list of his demands or face expulsion of PPP members from the Punjab provincial government.

Latif Khosa is a Pakistani senator and advocate, and the previous Attorney General of Pakistan. He was appointed the Attorney General on 19 August, 2008. He co-authored an electoral fraud report with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto shortly before her assassination in December 2007. Khosa was one of Bhutto’s top aides.

Senator Khosa appeared before the acting Chief Justice Javaid Iqbal in a hearing over the handling of the Iftikhar Chaudry sacking issue. Khosa claimed to be working to have the ex-Chief Justice reinstated.

Latif Khosa has been recently removed form the office of Attorney General of Pakistan on October 10th 2009 due to allegations and on 10 February 2010 as Advisor of Information Technology of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

On 20 July 2010, advisor to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Information Technology Sardar Latif Khosa sent his resignation to the President after developing disagreements with the Premier.

Bilawal hits out over Governor Taseer’s killing

LONDON: The son of slain Pakistani ex-leader Benazir Bhutto has condemned those who have praised the assassination of a provincial governor opposed to the country’s blasphemy laws.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told mourners Monday at the Pakistan High Commission in London that people who have voiced support for the killer of Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer were “the real blasphemers.”

“Because of you, the message of Islam is distorted in the eyes of the world,” said Bhutto Zardari, whose father is Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.

“Those who attack my religion, especially those who corrupt its peaceful message, you are what I call covert blasphemers and you will be defeated,” he continued. “This will be our jihad.” Bhutto Zardari further pledged to defend Christians and other minorities in the country.

“We will defend you. For those who wish to harm you for a crime you did not commit, they will have to go through me first,” he said.

Taseer was a member of the main ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of which Bhutto Zardari is co-chairman with his father.

The governor was shot dead by his bodyguard outside an Islamabad coffee shop on Tuesday last week, in the most high-profile assassination in Pakistan since ex-PPP prime minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in December 2007.

The gunman, police commando Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, has said he killed in the name of religion because of the governor’s stance on blasphemy laws.

More than 50,000 people from religious groups rallied in Karachi Sunday in support of Qadri, calling him a hero and demanding that any effort to reform the blasphemy law — recently used to sentence a Christian woman to death — be dropped.

Speaking at the memorial meeting late Monday, Bhutto Zardari compared the killing of Taseer with that of his mother three years ago, saying they both died defending the real message of Islam.

“My mother embraced martyrdom while defending our faith. She was martyred doing her jihad against those who had hijacked our religion,” said Bhutto.

“On January 4, Shaheed Salman Taseer was assassinated because he too refused to be silenced.

He too was assassinated in defence of our religion. “He died defending the message of Islam.”

Qadri Confesses killing Taseer on his own

Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri has confessed before the judicial magistrate that he acted alone in the shooting of Governor Salman Taseer, trendpk.com.Com reported on Monday.

Police commando Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, who was led away smiling on Tuesday after gunning down Taseer outside an Islamabad coffee shop, appeared in court for a remand hearing following his official confession. He has said he killed in the name of religion because the governor of Punjab province wanted to reform the blasphemy laws. He has recorded his confessional statement for the murderin which he said that he killed Salman Taseer on his own and there was no involvement of any religious or militant organisation, senior police official Haroon Joya said. Members of the main ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to which Punjab provincial governor Taseer belonged, had suggested that his killing was part of a wider plot, and slammed security failures that led to his death.Questions have been asked about why no policeman or guard apparently made an attempt to overpower the 26-year-old gunman.Qadri was not due in court until Tuesday, but officials said he was brought to a closed hearing in Rawalpindi a day early after officially confessing to the crime, infuriating defence lawyers who said they were not invited.The next hearing has been scheduled for January 24.

Ex-Attorney General Latif Khosa appointed as Governor Punjab

According to the latest reports of trendpk.com.Com, it is known that Ex-Attorney General Latif Khosa has been appointed as the new Govenor Punjab.

Earlier to this appointment, Latif Khosa had a meeting with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad. He also had a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi last night. It is learnt that Latif Khosa is considered to be among the few close associates of President Zardari. Previously Latif Khosa has also been appointed as Attorney General of Pakistan and advisor to the Prime Minister.

The need of this appointment for a new Governor Punjab arose after the assassination of Salman Taseer on 4th January 2011.

Rawalpindi: Salmans killer Qadri presented before ATC

Assassin of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer Mumtaz Qadri has been presented before Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi on Thursday, trendpk.com reported.

Brought under strict security the joint investigation team presented Mumtaz Qadri before a special ATC today. Owing to the security risks, Rawalpinds anti-terrorism court has been shifted to Islamabad for todays proceeding on Governor Salaman Taseers murder. Earlier yesterday, Taseers assassin was presented in Islamabads court. The Islamabad court handed over Qadri to the police under one days remand and instructed to present him in Rawalpindis anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday (today). During initial probe, the joint investigation team brought Mumtaz Qadri at Taseers murder spot at Kohsar Market in Sector F-63, Islamabad and asked him to draw a map of the murder plan. Later on the investigation team repeated (dramatized) all murder acts while the FIA forensic team collected some proofs from the site. The investigation team has forwarded an initial investigation report to the Interior Ministry. According to the initial report, up till now no evidence has been founded for assassins links with any partyMeanwhile, the initial probe report into Taseers killing would be presented to the Chief Minister Punjab today.

The report is being presented the by the inquiry committee, formed by CM Shahbaz Sharif to look into the tragic incident.The committee is headed by Additional IG special branch Nasir Khan Durrani. Additional IG Mushtaq Sakheer and DIG Shoaib Dastgeer are members of it. It has been learnt that around 32 guards of elite force were escorting Governor Punjab in Lahore, while the number of these guards was 16 in Islamabad, adding that none of the guards was from Lahore. It is being investigated why the number of elite force was reduced in the Federal capital. The report also revealed that killing of the Governor was individual act of the assassin but the phone records of killer Mumtaz Qadri would also help in further investigation.

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