Thaindian News

Islamabad, Oct 26 (IANS) The judge who convicted Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s assassin and has now left Pakistan after facing death threats showed remarkable courage when he upheld the law, a daily said Wednesday.

An editorial in the Daily Times said that after remaining in hiding and being transferred around for several weeks, Judge Syed Pervaiz Ali Shah was reportedly ’sent? abroad by the government. However, other reports attributed his departure for Saudi Arabia for Haj.

“Whatever the reality, it is a fact that ever since convicting (Taseer’s killer) Mumtaz Qadri, Judge Shah had been receiving death threats.”

Punjab governor Salman Taseer was shot dead Jan 4 by Mumtaz Qadri who was a member of the governor’s special security squad.

The editorial said: “Indeed the terror and intimidation factor was introduced into this case from the moment Qadri was arrested. Given the atmosphere of clear and present danger to his life, Judge Shah showed remarkable courage when he upheld the law in his judgement.”

“Many others in his place would not have had the grit or boldness to do the same. Cowardly statements on the blasphemy law designed as clear dovish signals to extremists from sitting lawmakers and ministers were testimonials of their cravenness,” it added.

The editorial observed that “if indeed he (the judge) was sent abroad on the quiet, it was the right thing to do to ensure his and his family?s safety”.

“We all know how safe they would have been in Pakistan”, it added with a tinge of sarcasm.

Noting that this can only be seen as a half-measure since it does absolutely nothing to tackle the wider issue, it asked: “How many courageous and sane people will need to leave the country before the tide turns?”

It pointed out that the identities and whereabouts of those who issue fatwas (religious edicts) against members of minority sects were known, “yet, one does not know of a single such person being charged with committing the crime”.

“Until these elements are given a strong push back in the form of prosecution for incitement to murder, extremism will continue to flourish. The non-prosecution of such crimes by the government is clearly an attempt at appeasing extremists, which is resulting in increasing space being ceded to them.”

It signed off, wondering: “Will the government begin to prosecute these criminals, or is it happy in remaining complicit in gradually turning the entire country into Mullah Fazlullah?s Swat and Mullah Omar?s Afghanistan?”