The assassin of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, Mumtaz Hussain Qadri appeared in an anti-terrorism court for a pre-trial hearing set for him in Adiyala Jail on Monday. The police report on the case was submitted in the presence of defence lawyers, the judge and the murderer Qadri.
The assassin's next court hearing will be held on February 1, in which an indictment is expected. During his appearance before the court in jail, a handful of his supporters were protesting outside in his defence. The demonstrators were mainly from religious group Shabab-e-Islami. Outside the jail, Qadri's lawyer Tariq Dhamial informed the reporters that the health of his client is deteriorating in solitary confinement. Qadri pleaded guilty to governor Taseer's murder through a confessional statement earlier this month.