REPORTS say that Tahirul Qadri had sought Canadian asylum under the name of Abdul Shakoor Qadri in 2008, ‘fearing’ threats to his life from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan. He claimed that the threats were a sequel to his meeting with the Danish cartoonist who was accused of making caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Channel reported (Feb 5, 2013) that it summoned Tahirul Qadri and sought an explanation of the violation of the oath he took while seeking asylum in Canada. The oath stated that he was not allowed to enter Pakistan and thus he had sought asylum.

Mr Qadri had filed the request along with his son Hussain Mohiuddin through his lawyer Mendel Green. On Oct 17, 2009, his asylum application was accepted and he was issued a Canadian passport about six months later. Quoting health issues, he received welfare funds from the Canadian government.

It is strange that Qadri led a five-day-long march (otherwise a storm in a teacup) in cohort with some disgruntled ‘politicians’ (rather haranguers) in Islamabad. How did he then, and now again, land back in the country where he feared for his ‘precious’ life?

The threat to Qadri’s life in his former homeland, Pakistan, is understandable. He published a fatwa against Al Qaeda-type jihad and suicide bombings. But, if he feels insecure in Pakistan, what is he doing here? Surely his agent-handler abroad wants him to show results to justify the money he probably used abroad.

He has now launched a ‘qisas’ movement. Will the self-styled sheikh-ul-Islam and Allama explain: is he wali to those killed outside his mansion (while he did not even open the gates)? The Punjab government too should clarify what efforts it made to pay ‘diyat’ to the victims. If so, who scuttled the ‘diyat’ payment?

Amjed Jaaved

Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2017