Pakistan’s Punjab governor, Salman Taseer, assassinated
Islamabad : Governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Salman Taseer, a voice of modernity in a country battling religious orthodoxy, was assassinated on Tuesday by one of his guards in the national capital, allegedly for his stance against draconian blasphemy laws.
Apparently the 46-year-old Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader was killed by the guard, who shot him nine times, for being vocal against the sentencing of a Christian woman- Asia Bibi- to death by a court for allegedly defaming the Prophet Mohammed.
The guard, identified as Malik Mumtaz Qadri, was a member of the Punjab Police Elite Force, reports said.
He gave himself up to police after the killing, reports said.
Taseer’s convoy was passing through Kohsar Market when he was shot dead.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman A. Malik said the assassin has been arrested.
In Karachi, according to Pakistan’s Samaa TV, Malik said the arrested killer took offence at Taseer?s statements regarding Blasphemy Law, but probe is on to find out if there was anyone behind the assassination or it was an individual attack.
“We will thoroughly investigate,” he said.
Taseer was critical of the stringent blasphemy law in Pakistan enacted during the time of orthodox president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the demand for the repeal of which was campaigned by the human rights groups.
One media report from Pakistan said six people were taken into custody after the killing.
A member of the ruling PPP, now facing a crisis after falling out with coalition partner, Taseer was a moderate.
He was also reportedly very close to President Asif Ali Zardari.
President Zardari cancelled all his political engagements immediately after the killing of Salman Taseer.
The human rights groups and lawyer activists like Asma Jahangir in Pakistan condemned the killing.
“The situation in this country is very bad and you have to be cautious,” she told an Indian TV channel, and also blamed the media for wrong portrayal of the assassinated leader’s views on blasphemy.