LAWYER Rab Nawaz joined the family of Salmaan Taseer in a vigil at Liberty Chowk, Lahore, (Jan 5).

According to him, he did so to show the people the other face of his country.

This was, he says, in reaction to what he read in the newspaper that some religious parties were holding a rally in favour of Taseer's killer Mumtaz Qadri.

I believe Mumtaz Qadri must be punished like any other criminal for his act of murder. In his confession he has stated that he killed Salmaan Taseer because he criticisedblasphemy laws. First, blasphemy laws are man-made and open to criticism.

Only recently a madressah student was held for blasphemy because he was disposing of the Holy Quran into a well as instructed by his teacher because it had become illegible and undecipherable.

My question is, can a person pick a gun and kill another person because he feels that the individual has committed blasphemy? What does Sura Nisa, verse 93, have to say about the deliberate murder of a believer,whatever his sins? Can an individual take the law into his hands and deliver justice. Can the law remain silent for fear of retribution at the hands of an illiterate society: a society that knows next to nothing about Islam, and yet claims to be its torch-bearer? Should the law condone the religious party that is behind the murder of Salmaan Taseer. I believe the law is blind and fear is not in its lexicon.

SARDAR AHMED SHAH JANPeshawar