Blasphemy accused gunned down inside courtroom at Peshawar Judicial Complex

[Rinnegan Sasuke]

An elderly man was killed during the hearing of a blasphemy case against him at the Peshawar Judicial Complex on Wednesday, police told Dawn.

A lawyer, who was present in the courtroom when the incident happened, said that a case had been registered against the deceased under blasphemy laws. The accused was brought to court from Peshawar Central Jail.

"During the hearing of the case, the complainant said that the accused was an Ahmadi and asked him to recite the Kalima-e-Tayyaba," she said, adding that the complainant then fired at the elderly man and killed him.

The judicial complex is situated in a high-security zone on the main Khyber Road in the cantonment area where the provincial assembly building, the Peshawar High Court, chief minister's secretariat and Governor House are also situated. Security at the main gate and inside the judicial complex is also high.

Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mohammad Ali Gandapur and SSP (operations) Mansoor Aman visited the courtroom where the man was killed. Gandapur said the shooter was "arrested on the spot".

"At the moment we have little information but we have started investigation into the killing," the CCPO said. Aman added that the weapon has also been recovered.

Police shifted the body of the deceased, a resident of Board Bazaar, to the Khyber Medical University for post-mortem.

Police said a first information report (FIR) had been registered against the deceased in 2018. According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the complainant alleged that the deceased belong to the Ahmadi community and "befriended him on Facebook" and in subsequent conversations, claimed that he was the "fourteenth Mujaddid".

"He then invited me to have a discussion with him at a mall in the city where he started talking about his belief," the complainant said in the FIR, going on to make more allegations.

The deceased was charged under Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), Section 295-B (defiling etc. of the Holy Quran), Section 295-C (use of derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad PBUH) and Section 298 (uttering words etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1571793/b...inside-courtroom-at-peshawar-judicial-complex

 

[Loralai]

Man on trial for blasphemy shot dead in court in Pakistan

A Pakistani man on trial for blasphemy has been shot dead in a courtroom, in the latest violent incident connected with the country’s blasphemy laws.

Tahir Ahmed Naseem had been in prison since his arrest in 2018, allegedly after claiming he was a prophet. He is a member of the Ahmedi sect, which is persecuted in Pakistan where they have officially been declared non-Muslims.

The shooting took place at a high-security complex next to the Peshawar high court.

“I was sitting on my seat in the office around 11.30 when I heard the firing,” said Saeed Zaher, a lawyer, who rushed to the site of the attack, and said the victim appeared to have been shot once in the head. “The killer was caught by the police and the body was lying on a bench within the courtroom.”

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Members of the public are allowed to observe trials, but for his attacker to smuggle in a weapon represents a serious security breach. “A person entering with a pistol and murdering someone within a courtroom is very disturbing,” Zaher added.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show the alleged killer, sitting barefoot on a bench under police guard, claiming he had been ordered in a dream to kill Naseem. He also attacked judges who hear blasphemy cases.

Blasphemy is an enormously sensitive charge in Pakistan, a criminal offence that can carry the death penalty, yet which is sometimes used to settle personal scores, and has become extremely difficult for the justice system to handle.

Mere accusations have prompted mob violence and lynchings; lower-court judges feel unable to acquit defendants for fear of their lives; even a supreme court justice recused himself from a 2016 trial.

While the state has never executed anyone under blasphemy laws, at least 17 people convicted of blasphemy are on death row, and many others are serving life sentences for related offences.

The case of Asia Bibi, a Christian farm labourer who endured a decade-long ordeal over the accusation she had insulted the prophet Mohammed in a dispute with neighbours, drew international attention to the problem of the laws.

Bibi was originally sentenced to death in 2010, though that verdict was later overturned. In 2011, the governor of Punjab province, Salmaan Taseer, and the minorities minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, were murdered after they spoke in defence of Bibi and called for reform of blasphemy laws.

She was eventually given asylum in Canada but still receives death threats.

Since 1990, vigilantes have been accused of murdering 65 people tied to blasphemy, according to research compiled by the Pakistani thinktank the Centre for Research and Security Studies.

There was no comment from the government, a silence that veteran activist Ibn Abdur Rehman said was damning.

“Religious fanaticism is becoming unbearable in Pakistan. People are being killed in the name of religion. There is no check and balance. The government is clearly silent on this matter. This silence makes the government the culprit,” said Rehman, honorary spokesman for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...em-blasphemy-laws-shot-dead-in-peshawar-court

Disgusting and disgraceful incident which needs to be condemned. Unsurprisingly our government is too scared of fanatics to open their mouths and protect the pubic.

How much longer can this go on for? We urgently need to build a tolerant and secular country and the governments silence here speaks volumes about their attitude towards tolerance.

 

[Abdullah719]

Saw one of the videos where this individual was proclaiming to be the messiah. Honestly, he looked a little disturbed and some of his speech was incoherent and slurred. Did they ever assess his mental health?

How did the killer enter the courtroom with a weapon? Sounds like a pretty serious security breach.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Should have heard him out instead of killing him. Maybe he had some message from the future.

 

[saeedhk]

He had mental health issues! Pakistan has found its new hero: Ghazi Khalid (the teenager who killed the alleged blasphemer)

This is a country that celebrates murderers!

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The United States urged Pakistan on Thursday to take action over the killing of an American national in a crowded courtroom as he faced trial for blasphemy.

Tahir Ahmed Naseem was shot multiple times at close range as he appeared in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Wednesday.

"We urge Pakistan to take immediate action and pursue reforms that will prevent such a shameful tragedy from happening again," the U.S. State Department said in a tweet.

As Naseem's arraignment began before the judge, a young man in the room pulled out a handgun and shot him in the head, officials and witnesses said. The young man was arrested on the spot.

On Thursday, supporters of a hardline Islamist group held a protest rally in Peshawar calling for the release of the suspected shooter, saying he had defended his religion.

The aftermath of the killing, captured on video and shared on social media, showed Naseem slumped over in a chair beside the judge's bench, as other shackled prisoners, some with bloodied clothes, were taken from the room.

"The young man who shot him had no remorse, and said he saw the Prophet Muhammad in a dream the night before," Latif Afridi, who heads the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, told Reuters.

Afridi questioned how the man managed to get a gun into the court given that all visitors are checked thoroughly at three different points.

"It is likely someone who can go without being checked, perhaps a police officer or a lawyer, handed the shooter the gun after he entered," he said.

According to the charge sheet against Naseem, seen by Reuters, the American was in contact with a student at an Islamic school in Pakistan on Facebook and told him he was a messiah sent by God.

Naseem later met the student in Peshawar, after which police arrested him and charged him with a number of crimes, including insulting the Prophet Muhammad, which can bring the death penalty in Pakistan.

https://news.yahoo.com/u-urges-pakistan-act-american-152513369.html

 

[MenInG]

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday remanded the suspected killer of a man accused of blasphemy in police custody for three days.

The blasphemy accused, Tahir Ahmad Naseem, was shot down inside a courtroom at the Judicial Complex here on Wednesday.

The police produced suspected killer Faisal, a resident of Gulabad area, in the anti-terrorism court in the morning amid strict security measures.

The relevant police officials told the court that the suspect was held after he killed the under-trial prisoner in the courtroom and that he had been charged under Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code, Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 15 of Arms Act.

They sought the custody of the suspected killer for interrogation saying the investigation into the case is in initial stages.

The court granted his three-day physical custody to the police with the orders for his production before it on Aug 2.

He was produced before ATC amid tight security

Stricter security arrangements were witnessed on the premises.

Normally, a visitor wanting to reach a courtroom at the Judicial Complex has to pass through at least three security checkpoints, where thorough body search by frisking and scanners take place. The people wonder how the suspected killer took a pistol to the courtroom.

Meanwhile, the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs revealed that deceased Tahir Ahmad Naseem was a US citizen.

In a message on social networking site, Twitter, it said, “We extend our condolences to the family of Tahir Naseem, the American citizen who was killed today inside a courtroom in Pakistan. We urge Pakistan to take immediate action and pursue reforms that will prevent such a shameful tragedy from happening again.”

A video went viral on social media showing the suspected killer tell people in the courtroom after the murder that he was asked by Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to kill the accused as he was a blasphemer.

When asked by one of those in attendance, he didn’t name the person, who gave him the pistol.

A case against the deceased was registered here at Sarband Police Station on Apr 25, 2018, under Pakistan Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295-A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), 295-B (defiling Holy Quran), 295-C (derogatory remarks in respect of Holy Prophet) and 298 (uttering words to wound religious feelings).

The complainant in that case was Malik Owais, a resident of Nowshera, who studies in a seminary of Islamabad.

He had charged the deceased of making false religious claims and telling him that he had been receiving Divine Revelations in dreams.

The deceased was indicted on Feb 4, 2019, under PPC sections 153-A, 295-A and 298, while the charge sheet didn’t have PPC sections 295-B and 295-C.

The deceased had denied charges and decided to stand trial.

Sources informed Dawn that the police and judicial officials continued examining the footage of different CCTV cameras installed in the Judicial Complex.

An official said one of the prime questions they were looking into was how the suspect took the gun inside, whether that was handed over to him by someone inside or he had carried it himself.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1572052/killer-of-blasphemy-accused-remanded-in-police-custody

 

[saeedhk]

These sort of barbaric incidents will continue to take place till Pakistani textbooks stop teaching pupils about Ghazi Ilm Uddin and other criminals who killed people in the of Islam.

 

[Third_Umpire]

Mullahs strike again! Savages

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thousands rallied on Friday in Peshawar to express solidarity with a man who killed Tahir Ahmad Naseem, an American citizen, accused of blasphemy inside a courtroom in Peshawar. <a href="https://t.co/PMcoC5DOke">pic.twitter.com/PMcoC5DOke</a></p>— Ihsan Tipu Mehsud (@IhsanTipu) <a href="https://twitter.com/IhsanTipu/status/1289242336837476355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mumtaz Qadri all over again...

 

[Buffet]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thousands rallied on Friday in Peshawar to express solidarity with a man who killed Tahir Ahmad Naseem, an American citizen, accused of blasphemy inside a courtroom in Peshawar. <a href="https://t.co/PMcoC5DOke">pic.twitter.com/PMcoC5DOke</a></p>— Ihsan Tipu Mehsud (@IhsanTipu) <a href="https://twitter.com/IhsanTipu/status/1289242336837476355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mumtaz Qadri all over again...

Celebrating a Murderer!!!

 

[BreadPakoda]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thousands rallied on Friday in Peshawar to express solidarity with a man who killed Tahir Ahmad Naseem, an American citizen, accused of blasphemy inside a courtroom in Peshawar. <a href="https://t.co/PMcoC5DOke">pic.twitter.com/PMcoC5DOke</a></p>— Ihsan Tipu Mehsud (@IhsanTipu) <a href="https://twitter.com/IhsanTipu/status/1289242336837476355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mumtaz Qadri all over again...

Is this representative of the general sentiment?

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Law needs to be replaced and revised as soon as possible. This person will get the death sentence, but the person who is dead should never have been arrested in the first place.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thousands rallied on Friday in Peshawar to express solidarity with a man who killed Tahir Ahmad Naseem, an American citizen, accused of blasphemy inside a courtroom in Peshawar. <a href="https://t.co/PMcoC5DOke">pic.twitter.com/PMcoC5DOke</a></p>— Ihsan Tipu Mehsud (@IhsanTipu) <a href="https://twitter.com/IhsanTipu/status/1289242336837476355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mumtaz Qadri all over again...

The difference is with qadri there was a worry that he would not even get punished, due to the pressure of these thugs. However now the precedent has been established with his death sentence, there is no doubt the same will happen to this murderer.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Is this representative of the general sentiment?

No. The Mullah's have street power. However its not as powerful as before. This person will get the death sentence, regardless of what they do.

 

[saeedhk]

Is this representative of the general sentiment?

Yes.

 

[Hitman]

I wonder whether Imran Khan will be able to find time to tweet about this issue. Or whether his next tweet will be again on Nazi India.

 

[saeedhk]

I wonder whether Imran Khan will be able to find time to tweet about this issue. Or whether his next tweet will be again on Nazi India.

Never. That is not happening in a million years. The fact that not a SINGLE politician has condemned or even mentioned this issue tells you a lot about this country. The country is a giant version of the Lal Mosque. In this republic, every child is an extremist!

 

[Mamoon]

I wonder whether Imran Khan will be able to find time to tweet about this issue. Or whether his next tweet will be again on Nazi India.

You need a leader with guts and courage, not a fake who reads from the script provided by his bosses in uniform.

This murderer will have protection from the establishment.

 

[saeedhk]

Killer of alleged blasphemer has received rousing welcome at Peshawar court. Jubilant lawyers were seen kissing the forehead of the killer.

The government has zero writ! What a regressive, intolerant and violent cesspool this country has become.

In other countries, you would have government officials and clerics coming on TV and renouncing such barbarism and the state would establish its writ by arresting those who encourage murder but no. Pakistan Zindabad!

 

[MenInG]

Killer of alleged blasphemer has received rousing welcome at Peshawar court. Jubilant lawyers were seen kissing the forehead of the killer.

The government has zero writ! What a regressive, intolerant and violent cesspool this country has become.

In other countries, you would have government officials and clerics coming on TV and renouncing such barbarism and the state would establish its writ by arresting those who encourage murder but no. Pakistan Zindabad!

Sorry how is that the govt's fault that people like this person?

If anything this is a societal issue.

 

[saeedhk]

Sorry how is that the govt's fault that people like this person?

If anything this is a societal issue.

Government needs to come out and condemn such barbarity and arrest those who are spreading hatred.

 

[Lonewarrior]

These sort of barbaric incidents will continue to take place till Pakistani textbooks stop teaching pupils about Ghazi Ilm Uddin and other criminals who killed people in the of Islam.

will you plz provide the source of your claim ...
waiting for your reply ....

 

[Ertugrul_Bey]

Honest question, why was the old woman who threw garbage at Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) was never lynched or killed by the Sahaba? Also, did this blasphemy law existed during that time or it came after the death?

 

[CricketCartoons]

Honest question, why was the old woman who threw garbage at Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) was never lynched or killed by the Sahaba? Also, did this blasphemy law existed during that time or it came after the death?

I was told by a bangladeshi scholar that although a good story, this is a weak hadith.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Killer of alleged blasphemer has received rousing welcome at Peshawar court. Jubilant lawyers were seen kissing the forehead of the killer.

The government has zero writ! What a regressive, intolerant and violent cesspool this country has become.

In other countries, you would have government officials and clerics coming on TV and renouncing such barbarism and the state would establish its writ by arresting those who encourage murder but no. Pakistan Zindabad!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...em-blasphemy-laws-shot-dead-in-peshawar-court

Disgusting and disgraceful incident which needs to be condemned. Unsurprisingly our government is too scared of fanatics to open their mouths and protect the pubic.

How much longer can this go on for? We urgently need to build a tolerant and secular country and the governments silence here speaks volumes about their attitude towards tolerance.

You need a leader with guts and courage, not a fake who reads from the script provided by his bosses in uniform.

This murderer will have protection from the establishment.

Bhutto and Zia are responsible for this not Imran Khan. The only long term fix to this is the repeal of the second amendment of the constitution of Pakistan. Which party is advocating for that? If Imran Khan advocates for that will the opposition support him? Will the Pakistani public support him? Will you people support him?

The majority of the country is intolerant towards Ahamdis.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

I wonder whether Imran Khan will be able to find time to tweet about this issue. Or whether his next tweet will be again on Nazi India.

Its on the Courts to ensure that this person gets the death penalty. Undoubtedly there will be protests when the verdict will be announced, so at that point Imran Khan needs to get involved and tell them to respect the verdict or face the consequences.

He did that once Asia Bibi was released, and i am sure he will do it for this case again.

Long term solution is for the second Amendment of the constitution of Pakistan which declared Ahmadis as non Muslim is repealed, and all the additions to the Blasphemy laws that were entered by Zia are removed and we go back to the British era laws.

 

[Belawal2014]

Honest question, why was the old woman who threw garbage at Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) was never lynched or killed by the Sahaba? Also, did this blasphemy law existed during that time or it came after the death?

No such hadith exists in hadith books. It's been made up. I'll be happy to be proven wrong, though.

 

[JaDed]

No such hadith exists in hadith books. It's been made up. I'll be happy to be proven wrong, though.

You are on the path of 50-50 on religion, tough road ahead for you before you reach the balance on faith, best of luck.

 

[Belawal2014]

You are on the path of 50-50 on religion, tough road ahead for you before you reach the balance on faith, best of luck.

Can you elaborate please?

 

[Ertugrul_Bey]

Ok but is there any law that prescribe the death penalty for a blasphemer or is it an innovation?

 

[PakLFC]

Terrible! When Islam says "killing one person is like killing entire humanity" I can't understand how this blasphemy law can be justified.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Honest question, why was the old woman who threw garbage at Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) was never lynched or killed by the Sahaba? Also, did this blasphemy law existed during that time or it came after the death?

It's a made up story in all probability. But there is no such law as Blasphemy in Quran.

 

[Greenstorm]

Ok but is there any law that prescribe the death penalty for a blasphemer or is it an innovation?

There is no such law in Islam. Prophet (PBUH) was not the sort of man who would kill someone just because he/she bad mouthed him. His character and teachings were completely different.

I do believe that in our societies, some sort of penalties should exist for blasphemy. But no one should be allowed to take law in their own hands.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Ok but is there any law that prescribe the death penalty for a blasphemer or is it an innovation?

No law in Quran exists that prescribes death penalty for either blasphemy or apostasy. Quran mentions the incidents were Prophet was subjected to ridicule or blasphemous remarks. That would've been the best time to prescribe a punishment against this act. But Allah clearly mentioned their punishment will be with Allah in hereafter.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Even in the Hanafi school of thought, blasphemy cant be charged against non muslims. Also interestingly there is no distinct punishment for blasphemy in Hanafi school of thought. Rather the view is if a muslim commits the sin of blasphemy, he will no longer remain to be a muslim & thus should be killed for apostasy(which also dosent exist in Quran). In hanafi school, a person committing blasphemy would also br given a chance to either
a) Defend himself/herself by either claiming the blasphemous comments/acts weren't from him,
or
b) ask for forgiveness & repent.

 

[saeedhk]

will you plz provide the source of your claim ...
waiting for your reply ....

I saw a photo from a Pakistan Studies/Islamiat textbook circulating on social media.

 

[Abdullah719]

No such hadith exists in hadith books. It’s been made up. I’ll be happy to be proven wrong, though.

This is correct.

 

[topspin]

This isn't the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam had fought for. Nearly all Pakistanis view him as a heroic figure but little do they know that this man stood for secular values centred on meritocracy.

What this Ahmadi experienced is a result of a country infested by Mullahs and intolerant religious fanatics who do not even understand the basic principles of Islam because of their illiteracy.

Yes, this stems from the era of Zia and Bhutto, but if we want to see reforms, Pakistan needs a leader with a backbone, not Imran Khan who is nothing but a spineless soul.

 

[Kianig89]

Again a slap on our judicial system case was going on since 2018 but no result

 

[saeedhk]

Again a slap on our judicial system case was going on since 2018 but no result

In most blasphemy cases, judges are reluctant to acquit a blasphemy accused because they fear for their own lives. As a result, even if there is no evidence of blasphemy, judges keep on dragging the case and telling the accused to stay remand for years. Read up the case of Junaid Hafeez. It is really heartbreaking!

 

[Abdullah719]

Killer of blasphemy accused sent to jail

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court on Monday sent the suspected killer of a man accused of blasphemy to prison on 14 days remand.

The blasphemy accused, Tahir Ahmad Naseem, a US citizen, was shot down inside a courtroom at the Judicial Complex here on July 29.

An official source told Dawn that the police records showed the suspect was 17 suggesting he’s a juvenile person.

The suspect was remanded in police custody for three days on July 30. The court later extended the remand for a day.

The police produced the suspected killer, a resident of Gulabad area, in the anti-terrorism court amid strict security measures.

He was taken to the court on the Khyber Road in an armoured personnel carrier.

The people, especially lawyers, showed up there in large numbers. Most of them tried to take the suspect’s pictures and film his movement. They threw rose petals on him amid sloganeering.

Lawyers, including those based in other cities, also reached the courtroom with a desire to plead the suspect’s case.

The police officials, including the counter-terrorism department’s, sought extension in the suspect’s physical remand saying a team of officers looking into the incident needed more time to get answers to certain queries.

The court rejected the request and asked the JIT to visit the suspect in prison.

The suspect was held after he killed the under-trial prisoner in the courtroom. The FIR of the occurrence was registered at East Cant police station under Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code, Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 15 of Arms Act.

In a video message, the suspect’s father claimed that his son left the house on Saturday (July 25) saying he’s going to get admission in a seminary.

He said he learned about the killing from social media.

A case against the deceased was registered here at the Sarband police station on Apr 25, 2018, under the Pakistan Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295-A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), 295-B (defiling Holy Quran), 295-C (derogatory remarks in respect of Holy Prophet) and 298 (uttering words to wound religious feelings).

The complainant in that case was Malik Owais, a resident of Nowshera, who studies in an Islamabad seminary.

He had accused the deceased of making false religious claims and telling him that he had been receiving Divine Revelations in dreams.

The deceased was indicted on Feb 4, 2019, under PPC sections 153-A, 295-A and 298, while the charge sheet didn’t have PPC sections 295-B and 295-C.

The deceased had denied charges and decided to stand trial.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1572515/killer-of-blasphemy-accused-sent-to-jail

 

[globalcitizen]

When the protectors of law like lawyers and police take selfies with the accused, I doubt he is going to be in jail for long. utterly shocking

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

When the protectors of law like lawyers and police take selfies with the accused, I doubt he is going to be in jail for long. utterly shocking

A similar case was with Mumtaz Qadri. It had the same thing, selfies with lawyers and police. He got the death sentence, so will this guy.

 

[Abdullah719]

ATC seeks record in blasphemy accused killing case

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court on Monday sought record of the killing of a blasphemy accused inside a courtroom last month as the suspected teenage killer filed a bail petition.

It also issued notice to the state prosecutor for response in the plea.

The court fixed Aug 15 for hearing into the petition of the suspect, who sought his release on bail on multiple grounds.

Spoiler

He said the Holy Quran and Sunnah were the supreme laws of an Islamic country and all other laws were subordinate to it.

In the 10-page petition, which mostly referred to Quranic verses and Hadith, the suspected killer insisted that apostates were liable to be killed.

While the police claim that the suspect is around 17, the petitioner insisted that he was around 14 and a half years of age and that the entire investigation conducted in the case was a violation of the mandatory provisions of the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018.

The blasphemy accused, Tahir Ahmad Naseem, who was a US citizen, was shot down inside a courtroom at the Judicial Complex here on July 29. The petitioner is in Peshawar Central Prison on judicial remand.

The petition was submitted by a panel of lawyers, including Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, Mohammad Enam Yousafzai, Barrister Amirullah Khan, Qaiser Zaman Khan, Abdul Wali and Shakil Ahmadkhel.

The FIR of the killing was registered at the East Cantonment police station under Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code, Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 15 of Arms Act.

The petitioner said no evidence was available on record to connect him with the commission of the offence.

He said the killing of anyone, who committed apostasy, by a Muslim in good faith and in line with the commandments of the Almighty Allah and Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), was not an offence and fell in the general exceptions provided in Pakistan Penal Code sections 76, 79 and 81.

The petitioner said it was evident from the record of the case registered against deceased Tahir Ahmad Naseem on Apr 25, 2018, at the Sarband police station as well as audio, video and text data available on social media and YouTube channel of the deceased that he had committed apostasy.

He also questioned the inclusion of Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act in the FIR registered against him and said in view of the facts and circumstances of the case, the people’s sentiments and the Supreme Court’s recent judgements, the ATA doesn’t apply to the case.

The deceased was charged by Nowshera resident Malik Owais, who is enrolled in an Islamabad seminary.

The complainant had charged the deceased of making false religious claims and telling him that he had been receiving Divine Revelations in dreams.

The deceased was indicted on Feb 4, 2019, under PPC sections 153-A, 295-A and 298. However, he had denied charges.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1573737/atc-seeks-record-in-blasphemy-accused-killing-case

 

[Major]

Sorry how is that the govt's fault that people like this person?

If anything this is a societal issue.

the govt is at fault.

The govt has had an anti Ahmadi stance. The whole Atif Mian case where Imran caved in. Plus, when arming was using tlp against PMLN.

When you allow TLP like organization to do street march, you make them powerful as they attract more and more people. This way TLP got powerful

TLP exists on the basis that they want to protect the finality of Prophethood, and thats what they preach to the masses and masses get influenced by them.

When Pakistan establishment was using TLP for their own good, i knew this would backfire one day. It is very dangerous to give these parties support as they can easily influence the masses.


THe govt won't even make a statement on this case, because the general population supports this kid. People have gone to meet his father and his father says he is proud of his son.
I have relatives, some studying in England who support this kid

Btw the kids name is Faisal, Ghazi khalid is just a title they are giving him.

 

[Major]

When the protectors of law like lawyers and police take selfies with the accused, I doubt he is going to be in jail for long. utterly shocking

He is probably being treated really well in jail.

I hope this kid gets extradited to USA, he did kill a US citizen.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

These backward laws show why he have been mired on corruption since the 1960s
Whatever your opinions on ghulam ahmed let the law courts decide the verdict

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Is this representative of the general sentiment?

Certainly is in Peshawar, otherwise how would these guys be openly demonstrating support for the execution?

 

[saeedhk]

the govt is at fault.

The govt has had an anti Ahmadi stance. The whole Atif Mian case where Imran caved in. Plus, when arming was using tlp against PMLN.

When you allow TLP like organization to do street march, you make them powerful as they attract more and more people. This way TLP got powerful

TLP exists on the basis that they want to protect the finality of Prophethood, and thats what they preach to the masses and masses get influenced by them.

When Pakistan establishment was using TLP for their own good, i knew this would backfire one day. It is very dangerous to give these parties support as they can easily influence the masses.


THe govt won't even make a statement on this case, because the general population supports this kid. People have gone to meet his father and his father says he is proud of his son.
I have relatives, some studying in England who support this kid

Btw the kids name is Faisal, Ghazi khalid is just a title they are giving him.

At least half of my Pakistani social media friends who live in Hong Kong are celebrating this murder. Almost all of them are irreligious: they do not pray, engage in anti-social behavior, file false workplace injury claims and drink alcohol but they all act so pious and righteous on social media.

I have noticed irreligious Muslims are also very violent and hold extreme views.

 

[Major]

At least half of my Pakistani social media friends who live in Hong Kong are celebrating this murder. Almost all of them are irreligious: they do not pray, engage in anti-social behavior, file false workplace injury claims and drink alcohol but they all act so pious and righteous on social media.

I have noticed irreligious Muslims are also very violent and hold extreme views.

this is the weird thing.

My family members who drink alcahol in Pakistan, hang out with the wrong kind of people, they celebrate this murder asswell.

This correlation is weird. Even my class mates who commit zina celebrate this murder.

 

[saeedhk]

In any other country, the PM would have come onto TV or least clerics would come on TV to condemn such hate-based murders and educate the public but this is Pakistan. The government has ZERO writ.

It is open season for hate preachers on social media and TV to spread hate against minorities in Pakistan!

I just watched a video on FB where a cleric is seen calling for the expulsion of Christians from Pakistan.

In the land of pure, the PM, CJ and even the COAS are afraid of speaking up for minorities for the fear of outraging the public and then being killed in a bomb or gun attack.

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

What about the Muslim Scholars who preach hatred & violence? Obviously this killer didn't knew much about Islam but most probably heard from mullahs that killing a Gustakh-E-Rasul will grant him Jannat in the hereafter.

I think the contents that are taught in the traditional madrashas should really be checked & reformed throughout the muslims world because it's simply outdated & hateful towards most of the mankind. It's a problem no one's really courageous to speak out against. Javed Ghamidi once pointed out 4 traditional narratives that are taught & preached in the madrashas that should be changed. They were,

1. Blasphemy & apostasy should be met with capital punishment. If governments dont execute, then muslims could & should do the job themselves and there wont be any sin in it & the killer cant be considered as a killer.

2. Kuffar/Non muslims have no right to govern & should be subjugated. Trading of non muslims & taking them as slaves & booties is also allowed.

3. All muslims should be under one rule. A khilafah. ( according to Dr. Israr The Khilafah should also be an expanding one.)

4. Nations states are a form of Kufr & no rules & laws of these countries are binding upon muslims.

These hateful views exists in most madrashas even in Bangladesh. Sadly true Scholars like Javed Ghamidi have very little following in the pakistani masses and Illiterates like Khadim Rizvi & drama queens like Tariq Zamil are worshipped in Pakistan. If Pakistan do want to progress, these animal like scholars have to perish who inspire innocent kids to become killers & murderers thus destroying many many lives.

 

[Major]

Also carrying a weapon into court is only possible if a lawyer carries it in or you wear a white shirt blank pant and coat.

In the court aread there is checking only the people are checked, lawyers are not checked infact lawyers walk through to the main gate.

 

[JaDed]

In any other country, the PM would have come onto TV or least clerics would come on TV to condemn such hate-based murders and educate the public but this is Pakistan. The government has ZERO writ.

It is open season for hate preachers on social media and TV to spread hate against minorities in Pakistan!

I just watched a video on FB where a cleric is seen calling for the expulsion of Christians from Pakistan.

In the land of pure, the PM, CJ and even the COAS are afraid of speaking up for minorities for the fear of outraging the public and then being killed in a bomb or gun attack.

I think all current South Asian PMs wouldn’t come on TV to talk about such issues anymore.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Certainly is in Peshawar, otherwise how would these guys be openly demonstrating support for the execution?

Ya, that makes sense. I meant to ask how widespread the sentiment is.

 

[BreadPakoda]

At least half of my Pakistani social media friends who live in Hong Kong are celebrating this murder. Almost all of them are irreligious: they do not pray, engage in anti-social behavior, file false workplace injury claims and drink alcohol but they all act so pious and righteous on social media.

I have noticed irreligious Muslims are also very violent and hold extreme views.

this is the weird thing.

My family members who drink alcahol in Pakistan, hang out with the wrong kind of people, they celebrate this murder asswell.

This correlation is weird. Even my class mates who commit zina celebrate this murder.

That is unbelievable. If they aren’t even the religious types then I wonder if its just fashionable to support this murderer. But even that won’t make any sense.

 

[Major]

That is unbelievable. If they aren’t even the religious types then I wonder if its just fashionable to support this murderer. But even that won’t make any sense.

heres the thing, they are religious, they are a staunch supporter of finality of prophethood. Yet they steal electricity from wapda by using hooks. Do not hang out with Shias and say stuff that they are bad people and what not.
They enjoy alcahol and chars with their friends, one of them is hafiz.

Point being, every other supporter of this kid or mumtaz qadri are just similar to them.

The correlation that i have tried to assume is that if a person is narrow minded to hate shias and act religious infront but sin in behind, than he will offcourse be narrow minded to support such kids like faisal or mumtaz qadri.

Even some of my uni classmates are no different. They do zina, and support such murderers as they are anti ahmadi and believe in the finality of the prophethood.

 

[Nervesofsteel]

heres the thing, they are religious, they are a staunch supporter of finality of prophethood. Yet they steal electricity from wapda by using hooks. Do not hang out with Shias and say stuff that they are bad people and what not.
They enjoy alcahol and chars with their friends, one of them is hafiz.

Point being, every other supporter of this kid or mumtaz qadri are just similar to them.

The correlation that i have tried to assume is that if a person is narrow minded to hate shias and act religious infront but sin in behind, than he will offcourse be narrow minded to support such kids like faisal or mumtaz qadri.

Even some of my uni classmates are no different. They do zina, and support such murderers as they are anti ahmadi and believe in the finality of the prophethood.

Precisely the problem with Pakistani society. Unfortunately, this won't get fixed in our lifetime. To change a society like this, you need to have a leader who is fearless & has the balls to take on this segment of society without fear & try & educate them...& if they still don't learn...punish them.

Unfortunately, our top brass of leadership, whether it's civil, judicial or military....they are all too soft on these right wing extremists...& no one wants to take 'panga' with them. It's really shameful & sad.

 

[Abdullah719]

Killer of suspected blasphemer withdraws bail plea from Peshawar ATC

PESHAWAR: A teenage boy charged with killing a suspected blasphemer inside a courtroom last month withdrew his bail petition from an anti-terrorism court on Monday.

A panel of lawyers appeared for the suspect and told the court that their client didn’t want to pursue the bail plea and was only interested in an early trial of the case.

The court directed the prosecution to submit the final challan (charge sheet) of the case within 10 days to begin trial.

Few days ago, the bail petition was filed on behalf of the juvenile suspect on multiple grounds.

The 10-page petition mostly included verses of the Holy Quran and Hadith and said those who committed apostasy were liable to be killed.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1575055/k...sphemer-withdraws-bail-plea-from-peshawar-atc

 

[MenInG]

A lawyer has been arrested for allegedly giving a pistol to a teenager accused of gunning down a US citizen as he appeared in a Peshawar court on blasphemy charges, officials told AFP on Wednesday.

Last month's killing of Tahir Ahmad Naseem in a crowded courtroom sparked outrage in the United States.

The US State Department has urged Pakistan to take action in his case and called for a reform of the blasphemy laws under which he was being held.

Naseem, a US citizen of Pakistani origin, was under police escort when he was fatally shot in court on July 29.

According to investigating officer Lalzada Khan, a junior lawyer was arrested on Tuesday for “allegedly providing a pistol to the assassin to kill Naseem”.

“[The lawyer] was produced before the judge in an anti-terrorism court. He was remanded into police custody for three days,” Khan told AFP.

Authorities say the shooter, who according to police is 17 years old, has confessed to the killing, claiming the lawyer provided him with the pistol.

The teenager withdrew his bail petition from an anti-terrorism court on Monday, with a panel of lawyers telling the court that their client didn’t want to pursue the bail plea and was only interested in an early trial of the case.

Lawyers don't typically undergo a pat-down before going into courts, and officials said the arrested lawyer had discreetly handed the pistol over to the teenager.

Washington has said Naseem was lured from his home in Illinois to Pakistan in 2018, when he was arrested on blasphemy charges.

Up to 80 people are known to be imprisoned in Pakistan on blasphemy charges — half of whom face life in prison or the death penalty — according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The US State Department has put Pakistan on a blacklist over religious freedom, pointing to the blasphemy cases.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1575283/l...laying-of-blasphemy-accused-in-peshawar-court

 

[Abdullah719]

Killer of blasphemy accused challenges age determination order in PHC

PESHAWAR: The suspected teenage killer of an under-trial blasphemy accused has moved the Peshawar High Court against an anti-terrorism court’s order for the determination of his age through medical examination.

The suspect, who was arrested after he allegedly killed US national Tahir Ahmad Naseem inside a courtroom on July 29, has field a revision petition requesting the high court to set aside the Sept 8 order of the ATC No III and order his trial under the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018.

PHC Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth will hear the petition on Sept 14.

Spoiler

The FIR of the killing of the under-trial blasphemy accused was registered at the East Cantonment Police Station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 15 of the Arms Act.

The petitioner claimed that his school documents proved that he was under 18 years of age and therefore, he was a child in line with the definition mentioned in the Juvenile Justice Act, 2018.

He said in the presence of the relevant documents, the ATC No III had no legal powers to order the determination of his age through medical examination.

The petitioner, whose lawyers are Shabbir Hussain Gigyani and Enam Khan Yousafzai, said the investigation officers had inquired about the age of the suspect and had mentioned it as 17 years.

He said the court before which he was initially produced had also mentioned his age as 17 years on Aug 3.

The petitioner said when the case was entrusted for trial to ATC-III, the presiding officer while ignoring the relevant documents and overriding the mandate of law, referred him for medical examination for determination of his age on Sept 8.

The petitioner contended that the trial court had erred in law by non-treating the petitioner as ‘child’ on strength of his school certificate and preferring him for medical examination in violation of Section 9 of the JJSA.

He said Section 8 of the JJSA provided that the investigation officer of in-charge of a police station shall determine age of an accused on basis of his birth certificate, educational certificate or any other pertinent documents and in absence of such documents his age may be determined on basis of medical examination report by a medical officer.

The petitioner said the section further declared that when an accused who physically appears to be a juvenile is brought before a court the court shall record its findings regarding his age on the basis of available record including report submitted by the police or medical examination report by a medical officer.

Meanwhile, the petitioner has filed another petition with the high court seeking the transfer of his trial from ATC-III to any other court of the competent jurisdiction.

The petition, which was filed under Section 28 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, read with Section 526 of Code of Criminal Procedure, said on the directions of the administrative judge ATC (ATC-II), the prosecution submitted complete challan against the petitioner for trial on Sept 7.

The petitioner said the case was entrusted to the ATC-III for trial after the submission of challan.

His father has given affidavit that at very initial stage, during the custody proceedings, the judge of the ATC-III had expressed his judicial mind about guilt of the petitioner and even about the quantum of the sentence.

He said in view of the pre-judgment determination and expression about the guilt of the petitioner and even about quantum of sentence, there was reasonable apprehensions in his mind for not having an impartial trial.

Apart from present suspect, junior lawyer Tufail Zia has also been arrested in the instant case on charges of providing pistol too the prime suspect inside the Judicial Complex.

His bail plea will also be heard by an ATC on Sept 14.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1579388/k...sed-challenges-age-determination-order-in-phc