RAWALPINDI, Feb 14: A court on Monday charged a police commando with terrorism and the murder of Punjab governor Salman Taseer. Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri told the court that he did not murder anyone ‘intentionally’ but had taught a lesson to an apostate, his legal team said.

Mr Taseer was shot dead outside a cafe in Islamabad on Jan 4.

Qadri has confessed to killing Mr Taseer, objecting to his calls to change the blasphemy law.

One of Qadri’s lawyers, Malik Mohammad Rafiq Khan, said after an anti-terrorism court hearing held behind closed doors: “The judge examined the record and said that apparently the accused committed murder and terrorism.”

He said outside the Adiyala prison in Rawalpindi: “The judge read out the charges to the accused.”

Qadri said he had acted on the directives of the holy Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Mr Khan said.

“He did not reply to court’s query, ‘are you guilty or not?’. He said he had not murdered anybody intentionally and had taught a lesson to an apostate,” another defence lawyer, Tariq Dhamial, said.

The next hearing will be on Feb 26, when witnesses and evidence will be presented, Mr Khan added.

Earlier, a handful of students brought Valentine’s cards and flowers to the maximum-security Adiyala prison where the hearing was held, handing them over to jail officials who said they would be delivered to Qadri.

“We admit it is not our tradition and it is wrong to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but it is now widely celebrated and the media is full with Valentine’s Day activities,” student Hussain Ahmed, 22, said outside the jail.

“We love Qadri because he loves the holy Prophet (PBUH),” Mr Ahmed said.—AFP