05/01/2021
Salman Taseer
By
Waseem Altaf`
Salman Taseer, the lone ranger was candid and pure, unlike most of our politicians who are scared of speaking the truth. He stood for the right cause and sacrificed his life for whom nobody dared to come forward- the downtrodden minorities who are condemned to be citizens of this ‘holy’ land. He was a courageous man who died as he had lived; brave, dashing and a living example for all those who fight against oppression, unjust laws and violation of basic human rights. Salman Taseer's post-mortem report showed 29 bullet wounds on his body; 14 entry and 7 exit. The bullets hit his liver, lungs, small and large intestines. However the three bullets which hit the neck severing his jugular vein caused his death. He died on the spot.
No religious party condemned his brutal murder. Even prominent politicians gave a twist to the whole episode and preferred not to talk about the real issue. The investigation began but the prosecution never involved those who had issued fatwas labeling Salman Taseer a blasphemer and calling for his murder! The instigators went scot-free just like Ataullah Shah Bukhari under whose provocation Ilam Din had murdered Rajpal. Earlier on, the ‘liberal’ PPP leadership retreated over the blasphemy law, the state withdrew its support and the majority remained silent. As a consequence, the maulvi was on the loose. Later, when Qadri was brought to the district courts in Islamabad, hundreds of religious party activists and lawyers showered flower petals on him, chanted slogans in his favor, garlanded him, kissed him and more than a hundred lawyers vowed to fight his case, declaring him a hero.
Similarly, all prominent ulema declined to lead Salman Taseer’s funeral prayers. The Badshahi mosque imam Abdul Khabeer Azad even left Lahore to avoid that ‘risky assignment.’ Even the ‘khateeb’ of Governor House, Qari Ismaeel refused the ‘sacrilegious’ task. Finally a PPP jiyala namely Afzal Chishti performed the ‘undesirable’ rites. The Government asked its citizens to be tolerant while at the same time it was in no mood to handle the ‘intolerant’ with an iron hand.
Apparently, the maulvi seems to have penetrated into the very fabric of our society, enjoying full support from many visible and ‘invisible’ quarters. The state structures have almost collapsed, and there is no remnant of governance at any level. The coming days are darker and without any support from the state, every liberal- progressive would find it extremely difficult to face the maulvi, who is already on the rampage. There presently exists no room for any disagreement on any matter which is even distantly linked to religion. Yesterday's hero was Ghazi Ilam Din ‘shaheed’ whereas today’s Mumtaz Qadri has become another role model.
Earlier, we witnessed a campaign of terror against the police officials investigating Qadri and threats to the judge who conducted the judicial proceedings. The case remained in cold storage for a long time despite the fact that Qadri himself had made a confession and was convicted. Though he was hanged later when his appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court. At the same time, mother of five, Aasia Bibi was rotting in jail, highly insecure within and outside the confines of the prison, as her sole supporter in the corridors of power left her for good. The Governor of the largest province was murdered because he asked for amnesty for a poor Christian lady.
It is unfortunate that the policy of appeasement towards the mullah remains the order of the day. Since 1949,when the objectives resolution was passed, to the Islamic provisions of the 1962 constitution to Bhutto's declaring the Ahmadis as non -Muslims to Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization to Musharraf's retreat on section 295C,to the loss of spine of the present regime, the curse lives on. Similarly our textbooks and media under the patronage of the powers that be, continue to promote extremism.
Salman Taseer was exterminated and buried, but not before hundreds of ‘ulema’ declared that not only attending his funeral would be sinful, even expressing remorse on his death would be heretical. It was appalling that a large number of people openly and others quietly endorsed the murder. The ‘liberal’ PPP dumped Salman Taseer and his cause. Judge Pervez Ali Shah heard the case of Mumtaz Qadri at Adiala Jail. On October 1, 2011, the court found Qadri guilty of murdering ex-Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and sentenced him to death. Prior to that, on 26 August 2011, the son of the late governor, Shahbaz Taseer, who was a witness in Mumtaz Qadri's trial, was kidnapped from Lahore who was later released after a huge ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
Judge Pervez Ali Shah left Pakistan along with his family soon after he announced the judgment. There were unconfirmed reports that extremist elements in religious parties had fixed head money for the judge. During the same month former Chief justice Lahore High Court Khawaja Sharif expressed his resolve to defend Qadri at the High Court as the case appeared very ‘weak.’ However, the Supreme Court acquitted Aasia Bibi, yet the spineless state was reluctant to send her abroad for fear of the mullah. Salman Taseer is no more, Mumtaz Qadri, the convicted murderer enjoys the status of a martyr after ex*****on and a shrine has been built in the suburbs of Islamabad by his followers.
Under immense international pressure, Asia Bibi was allowed to leave Pakistan, for perhaps Canada, however, her whereabouts are not known.
(Salman Taseer's 10th death anniversary is being observed today.)