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Criticism of blasphemy law is no blasphemy: Pakistan Supreme Court

During the hearing the bench observed that the entire argument of Qadri's counsel would be rendered irrelevant if it is not established that then Punjab governor Salman Taseer had committed blasphemy.

Islamabad: Justice Asif Saeed Khosa of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has said that criticism of the blasphemy law did not amount to blasphemy.
The judge gave the remarks while hearing the appeal by Mumtaz Qadri - the killer of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer - against his death penalty.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Khosa adjourned the hearing when Qadri's counsel Justice (retd) Nazir Akhter is expected to continue his arguments.
During the hearing the bench observed that the entire argument of Qadri's counsel would be rendered irrelevant if it is not established that then Punjab governor Salman Taseer had committed blasphemy.
Justice Khosa in his remarks said that criticising a law does not amount to blasphemy and the Press clippings presented in the court do not provide sufficient evidence to maintain that the former governor had committed blasphemy.
Qadri, a former commando of Punjab police's Elite Force, was sentenced to death for assassinating Salman Taseer in Islamabad's Kohsar Market.
Qadri said he killed Taseer over the politician's vocal opposition to blasphemy laws of the country.
Following the sentencing, Qadri's counsels had challenged the ATC's decision through two applications the same month.
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