Rawalpindi, Oct 4(ANI): The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge who awarded the death sentence to Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the self-confessed assassin of former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, has gone on indefinite leave.
Qadri, one of Taseer's own elite security force protectors, had shot him dead on January 4 because of his vocal opposition to the blasphemy law that was recently used to sentence a Pakistani-Christian woman, Asia Bibi, to death.
Justice Pervaiz Shah had been receiving life threats since the hearing of the Salmaan Taseer murder case had started, The Express Tribune reports.
Justice Shah has now gone on leave for an indefinite period of time, the report said.
The ATC had sentenced Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of Taseer, to death on Saturday, saying that it was a heinous crime and there was no justification to it.
During the case hearing at the Adiala Jail, the ATC judge noted down the statement of Qadri, wherein he had admitted before the judge that nobody had intimidated him to murder Taseer.
Qadri's lawyer, Raja Shujahur Rehman, told media persons outside the Adiala Jail that his client had also submitted a written statement of 40 pages, referring to 11 Quranic verses, 28 quotes from Sunnah and several other eminent Muslim jurists with reference to Islamic jurisprudence.
Qadri, a constable in the Punjab Police and a member of its Elite Force, tried to justify his action by stating that he had killed Taseer for supporting Aasia Bibi.
According to Qadri's statement, he had approached Taseer on the evening of January 4 and tried to talk to him about his very public support for Aasia Bibi and his advocacy of reform - not repeal - of the blasphemy laws. (ANI)
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