Daily Times

Today marks the seventh death anniversary of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. Taseer was killed by one of his bodyguards who later confessed to the crime and said he disagreed with Taseer’s opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy law. The murderer Mumtaz Qadri was executed in 2016.

Thousands of Qadri supporters took to the streets against his execution and vowed to avenge his ‘murder’. His funeral drew huge crowds and his tomb is reportedly under construction near Rawalpindi. It all goes to show that bigotry is deep-rooted in the society today and the bigots are not only in great numbers but also far more organised than progressive voices.

Last year in November, religious fanatics from a newly formed extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik staged an anti-government sit-in in Islamabad. The said group’s entire politics till date is based on glorification of convicted murderer Mumtaz Qadri, yet no action had been taken against them despite the fact that glorification of a terrorist is crime under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism act.

Salmaan Taseer died for a liberal Pakistan, but seven years after his death, the eradication of extremism remains a distant dream. What is worse is that the state not only lacks the will to tackle the rise of extremism, but also appears to have a soft corner for religious fanatics.

‘Blasphemy’-related violence claimed several other lives after Taseer’s death, but the state is yet to present a narrative against this form of violence. From the murder of Shama and Shehzad in Kot Radha Kishan who were burnt to death in a brick kiln over allegations of blasphemy, to Mashal Khan’s brutal lynching over accusations of blasphemy on social media, the mindset that led to the killing of Salmaan Taseer continues to thrive in the country.

The best way to pay tribute to Salmaan Taseer is to support justice for Aasia Bibi and all other victims of Pakistan’s blasphemy law

Salmaan Taseer stood up for blasphemy convict Aasia Bibi’s right to fair trial, but she still awaits justice. The extremist groups have time and again threatened to launch countrywide protests in case Aasia Bibi is released. The misuse of blasphemy law against which Salmaan Taseer raised his voice continues unabated even today. The progressive elements of the country need to better organise themselves in order to confront this hateful mindset. It is clear that the government cannot be counted on for doing something about the extremist threat. The citizens and activists will have to find a way out themselves.

While we pay tribute to Salmaan Taseer, it is also important to recall the circumstances under which he was killed. The slain governor was abandoned by his own party. The then ruling party Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that now tries its best to take credit for Salmaan Taseer’s courage had described his stance on blasphemy law as his personal opinion. Former president Asif Ali Zardari had not even attended his funeral. Furthermore, the PPP did not even try amending the blasphemy law during its five-year rule. When former information minister Sherry Rehman tabled a bill in the National Assembly seeking amendments to the blasphemy law to stop its misuse, the PPP government did not support her. She was asked by the then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to withdraw the bill. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto who now often expresses solidarity with Aasia Bibi should answer as to why president Zardari did not issue a presidential pardon to her.

The writer is a member of the staff

Published in Daily Times, January 4^th 2018.