The Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence given to a Muslim police guard for killing the former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.

Malik Mumtaz Qadri killed the governor on January 4, 2011 outside his home, but after hearing legal arguments, the court dismissed his appeal.

During hearing, Qadri’s counsel requested that he be given a lesser sentence, submitting that he had no personal grudge against the victim.

Qadri confessed to the killing over alleged blasphemy remarks.

He gunned die Salmaan Taseer after the governor expressed support for a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who was imprisoned for the alleged crime of blasphemy.

After the killing the government should have taken strong steps and should have resolved the long standing issue of the abuse of the blasphemy law.

Instead Qadri was allowed to appeal. But thankfully the court has upheld the death sentence and it will go towards showing other extremists that they cannot act with impunity.