LAHORE, Oct 1: Activists of the Sunni Tehrik (ST) took out a rally from Data Darbar to the Punjab Assembly to protest the conviction of Mumtaz Qadri for killing the then Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in Rawalpindi on Jan 4 this year. The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) also held a rally from Mansoora to Nasser Bagh.

JI secretary-general Liaqat Baloch in a statement said: “Mr Taseer had himself invited death by issuing blasphemous statements and Qadri did not deserve death sentence in this case”.

He said Mr Taseer had belittled the love of our people for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) by holding a joint press conference with a blasphemy convict woman and promising her clemency which sparked the religious sentiments of the accused and prompted him to take the extreme step.

Mr Baloch further said although the accused had made a confessional statement, the rulers should realise if the execution of the death sentence would help improve the situation or further deepen the religious sentiments of masses. “The execution of the death sentence will not be an easy step,” he warned.

On the other hand, PPP Punjab information secretary Dr Fakharuddin Chaudhry welcomed the verdict in a press conference.

“Decision against Qadri will promote the religion and discourage the extremist elements,” Mr Chaudhry said.

He said the religious parties which were pressurising the government after the verdict were in fact trying to impose their version of Islam. The PPP official said that Mr Taseer was a true Muslim and a liberal and progressive man.