Salman Taseer's killer remanded to five-day police custody

Rawalpindi, Jan 7(ANI): Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the bodyguard who assassinated Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, has been sent on a five-day physical remand to police custody.

The Anti-Terrorism Court Judge, Malik Akram Awan, rejected a police plea for a 12-day physical remand of Qadri, and ordered him to be remanded for only five days, with the direction to have his medical check-up done.

Qadri's lawyer Abdul Waheed Anjum said since his client had confessed to killing Taseer, there was no need for his physical remand, the Daily Times reports.

Police submitted that they had to find out his motive and accomplices in the assassination.

Earlier on Thursday morning, a group of lawyers and seminary students surrounded the court building to 'welcome' Qadri.

To avoid chaos, he was sent to a temporary court set up in Islamabad, but his supporters prevented the judge from leaving for the capital.

Qadri's lawyer told reporters that on his request, the judge had ordered Islamabad police to present the accused in Rawalpindi court.

On Tuesday, Taseer was assassinated by Qadri, one of his own elite security force protectors, who opened fire on him when he was moving towards his car in Kohsar Market, Islamabad.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Qadri had confessed to assassinating Taseer because of the governor's support for the release of Pakistani-Christian woman Asia Bibi, who has been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges. (ANI)