Posts published in “Day: March 1, 2016”

For its residents, Pakistan always seems to be on the verge of momentous events. A mass terrorist attack, a political assassination, a frenzied mob, or a half-baked attempt at regime change; such events are not only expected by the citizens, but taken in stride by an increasing stoic populace. Instead we raise our heads in wonder only to witness those rare events when the nation takes a momentous step in the right direction. On Monday,…

Mumtaz Qadri committed the murder of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in broad day light while in full control of his senses. His deed was witnessed by many and he never denied the gruesome act that put a life to an end without any opportunity of defence. His conviction by the courts, from the trial court to the supreme court of Pakistan, should have been a foregone conclusion. Yet when the supreme court upheld his conviction…

The man who murdered the governor of Punjab in Kohsar market, Islamabad in 2011 met his end in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi on February 29, 2016. His execution had been widely expected and social media prior to the event were a-buzz with those who supported the hanging and those who did not. This newspaper has consistently argued from its inception that capital punishment solves nothing and has never been a deterrent, and in a country where…

RAWALPINDI: Right up until Sunday night, only a select few officers knew of the plans to execute Mumtaz Qadri. Those who did, however, did not let on either. Expecting trouble, senior officers from the police and prisons department had chalked out a strategy to cope with the fallout from Mumtaz Qadri’s execution. They reasoned that his supporters may rally if his family was summoned for their final meeting with the condemned man in broad daylight.…

ISLAMABAD: After the Supreme Court upheld his conviction and the president turned down his plea for clemency, executing Mumtaz Qadri was the only option the state was left with. However, the swift method of his execution raised several eyebrows. But, there are conflicting views on the matter. Some argue that the smooth way the execution was carried out could only have been possible under the majority mandate of the PML-N, which has an experienced team…

KARACHI: Protests broke out in parts of the city on Monday against the pre-dawn execution of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, paralysing traffic in different districts of the province and badly affecting daily life and commercial activities across the metropolis. The protests, not called by any particular party but mostly held by organisations representing the Barelvi school of thought, were started much before sunrise when the news of Qadri’s execution broke.…

ISLAMABAD: The sudden execution of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s murderer triggered confusion in the federal capital on Monday. A lack of coordination, planning and preparedness was observed in government departments and it seemed they were not aware of Mumtaz Qadri’s hanging and there were no arrangements to deal with the situation. Citizens who use private transport learnt about the execution after reaching their offices. Soon afterwards, reports about protests in different parts of the…

Karachi: Uncertainty and chaos gripped the metropolis following the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, on Monday and cost the national exchequer a huge sum of Rs 5 billion. Shops, markets and business centres in the financial hub shut and opened many times after Qadri’s supporters and sympathisers came out on roads to observe black day over his hanging. Both supporters and sympathisers of Qadri came out of…

QUETTA: Balochistan’s Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti survived an armed attack on Monday near Dera Bugti while going to Sui area along with his security guards. “Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and members of his convoy remained unhurt in the attack and reached Sui safely,” Javed Naveed Khosa, Dera Bugti’s Assistant Commissioner, told Dawn. Sources said that the minister was targeted as he was returning to Sui after distributing appointment letters among 70 Levies personnel…

The writer is a legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists. LAST week, the European Parliament decided to continue Pakistan’s GSP Plus trading status, an instrument of the EU’s trade policy that aims to encourage developing countries to comply with core international standards in return for trade incentives. The decision was based on the European Commission’s report assessing Pakistan’s performance in meeting the terms of the GSP Plus. In its January report, the European…