Mumtaz Qadri’s release sought

E-Paper | March 15, 2026

KARACHI: Several religious parties on Monday staged a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club in support of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer, whose death sentence was upheld by the Islamabad High Court.

Speaking to the protesters, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek leader Mohammed Shahid Ghori said they would be compelled to take an extreme action if the decree was implemented.

Read: With terror charges dropped, glorifying Qadri no longer a crime

Citing the example of US national Raymond Davis, he asked the government to release the condemned prisoner.

He also said that the support extended by some lawyers to him showed that the killing of the former governor was ‘correct’.

The slain governor had supported a Christian woman accused of blasphemy and had declared the blasphemy law a ‘black law’.

Jamiat Ulema Pakistan leader Qazir Ahmed Noorani said those who had called Qadri a ‘terrorist’ would be taken to task.

Jamaat Ahle Sunnat leader Sufi Mohammed Lakhani vowed that they would continue a peaceful struggle for the release of Qadri.

Published in Dawn March 10th, 2015

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Muhammad Farooq

Mar 10, 2015 11:40am

It has been repeatedly stated that the slain governor was not supporting blasphemy by that Christian woman; he only objected to the blasphemy law introduced during Ziaul Haq rule that was mis-used over and over again to prosecute minorities. It appears that people are too emotional to think cool-mindedly.

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Ambreen

Mar 10, 2015 11:48am

Any organization supporting release of Qadri (a murderer) and anyone propagating violence and manslaughter should be tried. Everything that is wrong in Pakistan today is because of these pseudo-religious outfits.

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fair

Mar 10, 2015 11:49am

Its just not right. You can’t go around killing people at will without even giving them an opportunity to clarify their stance. The culprit should be dealt with as per the law of the land. I wonder, if anyone can narrate a similar nature incident from the four caliphates era please.

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muhammad

Mar 10, 2015 12:04pm

These so called religious parties should think that by illogically supporting the killer Mumtaz Qadri they are in fact providing justification to TTP for their brutal acts in the name of Islam

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Baba de Qamaqlao

Mar 10, 2015 12:27pm

On one side we complain of terrorism and on the other hand we make all out efforts to help terrorists evade punishments. I think the issue of terrorism has gone into our blood like cancer which is parlaying the whole society. We must not think of any improvement in the law and order situation if our religious parties and so called educated lot like lawyers openly support terrorist like Mumtaz Qadri.

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Mirza Mirza

Mar 10, 2015 01:05pm

Court make us fool by removing ATC clause...

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Standing up.

Mar 10, 2015 01:24pm

This nation has to prove what exactly are its values, its morals. Does it support murderers? does this nation have spine to implement its laws. Is this nation a law abiding nation? This is a test for the nation, buckle under pressure and the message is very clear.

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atif

Mar 10, 2015 01:36pm

Citing the example of US national Raymond Davis, he asked the government to release the condemned prisoner. well, first of all, two wrongs does not make one right secondly, no religious party took to streets on release of raymond davis. ignorant mullahs r like termites in our society

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Ahmer Ansari

Mar 10, 2015 01:58pm

@Ambreen who released American terrorist Raymond Davis? So called pseudo-religious outfits or Secular Government?

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Ahmer Ansari

Mar 10, 2015 01:59pm

@muhammad Release of Raymond Davis provided justification for Mumtaz Qadri Release.

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Naseem

Mar 10, 2015 02:50pm

These people are "Zalim" who support murderers. I have never heard that any one was killed when Prpohet Sallahu Wasalm, was alive, even there were people who made his life unbearable. Murderers must get the punishment which they deserve, otherwise we will have more of this sort of killing.

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pseudo-Pakistan-religious-liberal

Mar 10, 2015 03:33pm

@Ahmer Ansari I wont mind Raymond Davis walking free. Because of him there were two less terrorist on the street -_- First, Raymond Davis didn't till those two people. The car which left the consulate to pick him up drove over those two people. Second, If those two people were innocent why they were found dead with arms? Innocent much?

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khanm

Mar 10, 2015 03:44pm

These things will destroy the human race: politics without principle, progress without compassion, wealth without work, learning without silence, religion without fearlessness and worship without awareness.... No wonder why we are a regress society...

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muhammad

Mar 10, 2015 03:50pm

@Ahmer Ansari First of all nobody appreciated the act of Raymond Davis secondly Raymond Davis admitted his crime and showed remorse on his crime and asked for leniency / pardon from the relatives of killed persons and paid blood money according to the Islamic law in Mumtaz Qadri case people like you appreciate his act and further Mumtaz Qadri never showed any remorse / regret for his cold blood murder how can you equate two different incident just to save a psychopath killer this is not only against the norms of humanity but also against the tenet of Islam

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Zubaida khan

Mar 10, 2015 04:16pm

Raymond Davis killed while being robbed. How was Taseer a danger to Qadri? And these supporters are supposed to be the moderate Sufi ones? The problem with clerics today is they have too much wealth and influence.

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Nauseated.

Mar 10, 2015 04:33pm

A few days after this gruesome murder was committed there was a similar massive rally by clerics on the main Bunder Road of Karachi, thousands attended, and was transmitted live on television in favor of the murderer. Ours is a very indoctrinated, and hence a very dangerous society, we are a danger to ourselves, to our neighborhood, the whole world is telling us that, our friends and foes alike, but our state is so very complacent, so scared, how can we ever be a society which others would even ever bother to look at, leave alone wish to interact with. This is the main stream Pakistan society, believe or do not believe, this is our way of thinking, our values, our morals, put on public display. This is screened throughout the world, to show there is very little difference between us and I.S. way of thinking.

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Mar 10, 2015 09:20pm

Raymond Davis was not Innocent

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muhammad

Mar 10, 2015 09:43pm

@A Who said he was innocent ? there is only one similarity between both that is both are killers Raymond Davis killed two man in his defense and later on regretted his act and paid blood money to the relatives according to the Islamic Sharia whereas Mumtaz Qadri has cold blooded killed Mr. Salman Taseer and still has no remorse at all and few ignorant people are glorifying / appreciating him for his inhuman, un-Islamic brutal act

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BNS

Mar 11, 2015 03:34am

Great! so they are asking to release a muderer without due legal process?

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Mohammad Ali Khan

Mar 11, 2015 05:53am

Lock up these criminals.These people are a menace to progress.

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Mar 11, 2015 09:06am

All supporting Qadri are bigots and should be in prisons. Itspeople like these who have brought us to a point where you see so called muslims everywhere but there is no sign of Islam

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