Mumtaz Qadri case Judge refuses to move

The court also issued instructions to police that the accused Mumtaz Qadri might undergo a medical check-up from District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Rawalpindi.

Amid tight security, Islamabad police presented the murderer of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer before ATC-I Special Judge Muhammad Akram Awan.

On the occasion, Mumtaz Qadri was accorded a warm welcome by thousands of over charged lawyers, representatives of civil society as well as activists of Sunni Tehrik (ST) who were gathered outside the court.

They chanted slogans in favour of Mumtaz Qadri. When he was dismounted from the vehicle legal fraternity showered mounds of rose petals upon him. Many people kissed his face and hands in emotions.

It is interesting to note here that over five hundred lawyers had signed the attorney to appear before the court on behalf of Malik Mumtaz Qadri. But a panel comprising of District Bar Association (DBA) Malik Waheed Anjum, Sana Ullah Zahid, Malik Jawad Khalid, Basharat Ullah and Abid Mughal presented in the court from his side.

During the proceedings, Malik Mumtaz Qadri confessed that he killed Salman Taseer as he (Taseer) termed the blasphemy law as a black law. He also said that he committed the crime on his own will and neither any political or religious party was not involved in the crime nor any group asked him to do so. “I was alone responsible for killing the governor,” he claimed.

Qadri told the court that he faced physical torture including electric shocks and law enforcers did not allow him to sleep the whole night.

On this, ATC-I Judge Akram Awan ordered Islamabad police that his medical examination should be taken from the hospital, situated outside the jurisdiction of Islamabad. The court also instructed that his medical check-up should be done at DHQ Hospital Rawalpindi.