Pak Governor is killed for defying hardliners

Taseer,who was a member of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and close to President Asif Ali Zardari,was very vocal in his opposition to the blasphemy law that orders death for insulting Islam.

Recently,Taseer had called for pardon for Asia Bibi,a 45-year-old Christian mother of five,who was sentenced to death under the law,a stand that earned him criticism and threats from Islamist groups and leaders including Hafiz Saeed,founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

“I was under huge pressure sure 2 cow down b4 rightest pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I’m the last man standing,” Taseer wrote on Twitter on December 31.

“He was the most courageous voice after Benazir Bhutto on the rights of women and religious minorities,” said a crying Farahnaz Ispahani,an aide to Zardari and friend of Taseer. “God,we will miss him.”

The man arrested for killing the governor,a bearded 26-year-old Elite Force police commando called Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri,allegedly told interrogators he was proud to have killed a blasphemer. Qadri is from Barakhao on the outskirts of Islamabad,Interior Minister Rehman Malik said in Karachi.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced a three-day national mourning and ordered flags lowered to half-mast. Shahbaz Bhatti,the minorities minister,said Pakistan’s religious minorities would join the PPP’s two-week mourning for Taseer.

Taseer is survived by his wife Amna and their six children. He also has a son,writer Aatish Taseer,with journalist and The Indian Express columnist Tavleen Singh.

Police officer Mohammad Iftikhar said Taseer was gunned down at Kohsar Market,a shopping centre in Islamabad’s posh Sector F-6/3,popular with Westerners and wealthy Pakistanis. Taseer was believed to be on his way to meet someone for a meal,Rehman Malik said.

“It was one shot first and then a burst. I think nine or 10 shots,” said R A Khan,a witness. “I rushed and saw policemen over another police commando,who was lying on the road with his face down.” Officials said the governor was shot nine times in the neck and chest with an automatic weapon.

Five other people were wounded as other securitymen responded to the attack. All members of the governor’s security detail were being questioned,Malik said. “When the governor was getting into his car,the guard shot him. After firing,he put down his weapon and surrendered,saying he had shot (Taseer) because he called the blasphemy law a black law.”

“That is what the bodyguard says but we will hold thorough investigations and find out if this was the real reason for the assassination,” Malik added.

Taseer was rushed to the Polyclinic Hospital,where he succumbed to his injuries,his spokesman Farrukh Shah said. He said doctors made an unsuccessful attempt to revive him before declaring him dead.

“We have lost a dear friend,great human being and a politician of great standing,” Malik said.

President Zardari described the killing as “most ghastly”,and said “the perpetrators of this heinous crime must be punished”.