Pak court directs jail authorities to give Taseer’s assassin all amenities as per Prisons Act

ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has reportedly asked the Adiala Jail superintendent to provide Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, with all facilities as per the Prisons Act.

ATC Judge Raja Ikhlaq Hussain had issued these directions after hearing a petition filed by Qadri’s lawyer Shujaur Rehman against Adiala Jail authorities for violating the Prisons Act, the Daily Times reports.

Rehman said in the petition that his client has been kept in isolation, barred from coming out of his barrack, and even also does not have the permission to offer his prayer with other inmates.

After hearing the petition, the judge ordered the jail authorities to treat Qadri like other prisoners, allow him to offer prayers with rest of the inmates, walk in the jail compound, and give him access to newspapers or books.

Earlier, the court had deferred the indictment of Qadri until February 14 due to non-availability of the state’s lawyer in the case. In an earlier hearing, the judge had set two clerics, Hanif Qureshi and Imtiaz Shah, free after an investigation officer had informed the court that they were not required in the case. (ANI)