Pak SC upholds death sentence of killer of former Punjab Guv
BY Agencies9 Oct 2015 4:39 AM IST
Agencies9 Oct 2015 4:39 AM IST
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the killer of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer against the death sentence awarded to him by the trial court and maintained by the Islamabad High Court.
A former commando of the Punjab Police’s Elite Force, convict Mumtaz Qadri killed Taseer in January 2011, in an upmarket locality of Islamabad for allegedly criticising the controversial blasphemy laws.
He was arrested and tried by <g data-gr-id="20">anti-terrorism</g> court which awarded him death sentence same year. He then challenged the ruling in Islamabad High Court.
The Islamabad High Court earlier this year rejected Qadri’s appeal against his death sentence under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) but accepted his application to <g data-gr-id="13">void</g> the Anti-terrorism Act’s (ATA).
It was said at that time that he was not convicted under terrorism and thus he could not be hanged as <g data-gr-id="17">government</g> had only lifted <g data-gr-id="18">moratorium</g> on execution in cases of terrorism.
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