New York, February 29, 2016: Pakistan today reluctantly embraced the news of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s killer Mumtaz Qadri hanging.
The execution took place at 4.30 am on Monday at the Adiala Jail.
Mumtaz Qadri was an Elite Force commando and he was convicted of killing Salman Taseer who he had shot at 28 times on January 4, 2011, at the Islamabad’s Kohsar Market on January 4, 2011.
For murdering Salman Taseer Mumtaz Qadri was sentenced to death on October 1, 2011, but he soon became a hero for many in the country as he had said that he killed Taseer for his opposition to the Blasphemy laws of Pakistan.
The Blasphemy laws of Pakistan are liberally applied against minorities such as Christians and Hindus.
Shehryar Taseer, Salman Taseer’s son expressed his happiness like this:
Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, daughter of former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed her happiness on Twitter:
“Salaam Shaheed Salmaan Taseer! Praying for the swift recovery of your son ❤️ #InshAllah #FourYEARS.”
Mumtaz Qadri’s mercy petition was rejected by President Mamnoon Hussain but those who admire him are refusing to let his memories wane.
On Social media, many Pakistani analysts and Mumtaz Qadri’s supporters are posting that in anger entire Lahore has been shut down.
Khalid Khan, a journalist, posted a video on Twitter that shows Lahore completely closed to protest against the execution of Mumtaz Qadri.
Omar R Quraishi, Journalist with ARY News, criticized Pakistani government’s approach on protests against Mumtaz Qadri’s execution. He wrote on Twitter that: “The government wants the media to not report protests against Mumtaz Qadri’s execution – that won’t make the protests go away – wrong policy.”
But what is extremely worrisome is what he had written previously: “Admirers and supporters of Mumtaz Qadri take a photograph with his body Posted on Facebook with thousands of likes.”
The radicalization of Pakistan is an extremely worrisome especially since Salman Taseer was widely considered far more liberal in his approach towards minorities than the other Pakistani politicians.
Here is what the common Pakistani is feeling at what they perceive is the hypocrisy of ‘Liberals’ or ‘Liberal-Fascists’ which they think those feeling happy over the execution are:
Protest over the execution was expected as Mumtaz Qadri is considered a man who gave up his life for his religious inclinations.
Similar tweets and Facebook posts show the anger and hurt that a common Pakistani is feeling at the moment.
Pic credit for Featured image: Guardian.com
Pic credit for other images: Twitter
