Speaking at a Khatm-i-Nabuwwat Conference in Peshawar on Wednesday and campaigning for the NA-4 seat at the same time, the emir of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Sirajul Haq, criticised his opponents in the upcoming NA-4 by-poll for not praying at Mumtaz Qadri's funeral as he did.

Qadri, a former commando of Punjab police’s Elite Force, was sentenced to death by an Anti-Terrorism Court in October 2011 for assassinating former Punjab governor Salman Taseer in Islamabad’s Kohsar Market.

Qadri said he had killed Taseer over the politician's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

"As emir of the JI, I have taken it upon myself to ensure that his [Qadri's] four-year-old son gets an education," Haq said on Wednesday.

Also calling for immediate action against whoever attempted to modify or repeal Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prophethood) laws, Haq said even the scent of paradise was 'haram' — forbidden — on those who were unwilling to lay down their lives for the sanctity of the belief.

Accusing the government of 'attacking' the law in its haste to amend election laws to allow Nawaz Sharif to continue as chief of the PML-N, Haq demanded that the advisers and ministers responsible for violating the 'sanctity' of the belief should be thrown into jail and punished "for hurting the sentiments of Muslims."

"These people have ruled the land again and again without doing anything for the people. What do they want, to rule the heavens as well?" he railed.

"Till the thieves sitting in Islamabad are taken to task, our campaign will continue," he said. "We will wage war against the land, drug and corrupt mafias," he said.

"Our candidate will fight for the finality of prophethood and your rights," he promised.

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