MWL Secretary General stressed the need for unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians by opening all crossings
world9 hours ago
Pakistan on Monday hanged the assassin of a governor seeking reform of the country's blasphemy law, officials said, in a blow to the supporters who feted Mumtaz Qadri as a hero and had threatened violence if he was executed.
Officials stepped up security in the garrison city of Rawalpindi as hundreds of people began gathering at Qadri's family home early Monday, and some roads were closed in the nearby capital Islamabad as authorities braced for protests from hardliners.
Qadri, a former police bodyguard, shot liberal Punjab governor Salman Taseer 28 times in an upscale market in Islamabad in 2011.
He later admitted the killing, saying he objected to the politician's calls to reform controversial blasphemy laws - a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan.
"Qadri was hanged in Adiala jail early Monday morning" in Rawalpindi, senior local police official Sajjid Gondal told AFP.
Qadri's body was being displayed to supporters at his family's home in the city, where Rangers and police in riot gear as well as ambulances and dozens of police vehicles were stationed, an AFP reporter there said.
Armed Rangers could also be seen on the roof of the building housing Qadri's residence, while authorities blocked some roads in the neighbourhood.
Cries were heard from inside the house as hundreds of men and women gathered, and mosques could be heard broadcasting news of the execution.
"I have no regrets," Qadri's brother Malik Abid told AFP, tears rolling down his cheeks, while women chanted poetry nearby.
He said the family had been called to the prison Sunday evening by officials who said Qadri was unwell.
But when they arrived, he greeted them with the news that authorities had deceived them, and that his execution was imminent.
"We started crying, but he hugged us and chanted 'God is great,'" Abid said.
"We have beefed up security in Rawalpindi to maintain law and order and to deal with any untoward situation," Gondal said.
In the port mega-city of Karachi, some petrol stations were closed after Qadri supporters ordered them shut.
Qadri lost a petition for the Supreme Court to review his sentence in December last year.
The decision came after the court warned in October that in Islam a false accusation can be as serious as the blasphemy itself, and that calls for blasphemy law reform "ought not to be mistaken as a call for doing away with that law".
The court's decision to uphold the sentence sparked rallies in which supporters said that if Qadri was executed those responsible should also be put to death.
MWL Secretary General stressed the need for unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians by opening all crossings
world9 hours ago
In the initial phase, the organisation will process 600 applications from individuals who meet the required conditions
visa and immigration in uae9 hours ago
Israeli forces carried out similar strikes in some other parts of the Hamas-run territory overnight, killing at least 10 people
mena9 hours ago
The suspect was believed to be the key figure behind the January 28 attack
mena10 hours ago
The total number of captives exchanged between the two countries in these mediations to 1994 prisoners
world10 hours ago
Both CCI reports said that during investigations Amazon and Flipkart 'deliberately downplayed' allegations of exclusive launches
tech10 hours ago
The makers released the show's trailer on Instagram on Saturday, giving fans a sneak peek at what's to come
entertainment10 hours ago
With airfares soaring and long waits to secure visas, 'seacations' are now becoming all the rage among travel enthusiasts
uae12 hours ago