The Islamabad High Court (IHC) observed that the appeal of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, cannot be transferred to the military courts.
On February 14, 2011 Qadri was formally indicted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) when he confessed to killing Salmaan Taseer for criticising the blasphemy law.
“A sentence has already been awarded by a trial court; therefore the case cannot be transferred to the military courts,” observed Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC.
The observation came after Qadri’s counsel Justice (retd) Mian Nazir Akhtar requested the court to restrain the government from sending the case to a military court.
Earlier, the attorney informed the court that there were some reports in the media that the government is planning to refer the case to a military court and requested the court to stop the government’s move.
