Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri (1985 – 29 February 2016), better known as Mumtaz Qadri (Urdu: ممتاز قادری‎), was a Pakistani policeman and Islamic fundamentalist.^[1] He served as a commando of the Elite Police and in the squad of personal bodyguards of former Governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer until, on 4 January 2011, he assassinated Taseer for speaking in favor of blasphemy-convicted Asia Bibi and against the blasphemy law. He was convicted by the Islamabad High Court, sentenced to death and executed.

Life and career

Qadri was born in 1985 in Rawalpindi, Punjab.^[2] He was a son of a vegetable seller in Muslim Town, Rawalpindi.^[2] Qadri joined Punjab Police in 2002 and promoted to Elite Police in 2007.^[2] In 2009 he got married and had one son.^[2] In 2010, he joined the squad of the security guards of former Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer.^[3]

Taseer’s murder and conviction

On the evening of 4 January 2011, while Governor Taseer was at Kohsar Market in Islamabad, one of his bodyguard, Qadri shot 28 bullets and killed him.^[4] He surrendered immediately after the shooting and was arrested.^[5] According to Qadri, he killed the governor for his support of Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and for speaking against the blasphemy law in Pakistan.^[5]

From the day he was arrested, held in custody on a five-days remand. He appeared in court on 9 January 2011 and confessed that he had killed Salman Taseer because of his speaking against the blasphemy law. During his appearance in court over 300 lawyers offered to represent him pro bono.^[6] On 10 January 2011, he was sent to Adiala Jail on 14 day judicial remand. Because of the security issues, his trial was held in Adiala Jail; it began on 14 January 2011. He was charged with the murder of the Governor of the Punjab.

Execution

On 10 October 2011 the court found him guilty and condemned him to death. He filed an appeal in Islamabad High Court on 6 October 2011 against his death sentence, and the appeal was admitted on 11 October 2011. Justice Dost Mohammad made clear his view that the accused, a uniformed officer, was not entitled to take the law into his own hands and murder a man who was under his protection.^[7] His appeal was rejected in December 2015,^[8] and he was hanged on 29 February 2016 around 4:30 a.m. at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.^[9] The funeral of Mumtaz Qadri was held on 1 March 2016 at Liaqat National Bagh in Rawalpindi.^[10] According to an estimate, the funeral was attended by over 100,000 people including Hamid Saeed Kazmi. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority banned electronic media from broadcasting his funeral because it was violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists condemned the ban on media.^[11] It was also noted that Barelvis attended the funeral in large numbers.^[12] Qadri was buried in a village Bara Kahu in Islamabad.^[13][14]