Taseer’s bodyguard at the time of the murder, Qadri was convicted in late 2011, but appealed the sentence to the Islamabad High Court.
Source/Credit: Agencies
By Staff report | March 9, 2015
Pakistan's Islamabad High Court on Monday upheld the death sentence for Mumtaz Qadri, who killed Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011, it was reported by Reuters and BBC.
Taseer was an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy law -- which carries the death penalty -- and Qadri is viewed as a hero by many people who thought Taseer himself was a blasphemer for calling for the blasphemy law into question and seeking it’s reform.
Taseer’s bodyguard at the time of the murder, Qadri was convicted in late 2011, but appealed the sentence to the Islamabad High Court.
Qadri can now appeal his case to the Pakistani Supreme Court.
The court's ruling, however, ads caveats that, some experts say, paves a way for Qadri to never face execution and offers an opportunity for a possible release via a compromise with the victim's family.
In it's ruling the court struck down charges pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism Act but kept intact the charges and the resulting conviction under the Pakistan Penal Code.
A member of the Taseer family -- who was kidnapped years ago and remains in Taliban's possession -- may be used as a pawn to secure a compromise with the victims family.
-- Pakistan: Death sentence upheld for killer of Pakistani governor
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