Governor killed by own bodyguard
Source: Agencies |
January 5, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE governor of Pakistan's Punjab province was shot dead in the capital yesterday by one of his own guards, who later told interrogators that he was angry about the politician's stance against the country's blasphemy law.
The killing of Salman Taseer was the most high-profile assassination of a political figure in Pakistan since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in December 2007, and it rattled a country already dealing with crises ranging from a potential collapse of the government to a virulent Islamist insurgency.
The killing could also add to concerns about inroads by Islamist extremists and fundamentalists into Pakistan's security establishment and represented another blow to the country's Pakistan's embattled secular movement.
Taseer was a member of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and a close associate of President Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower. The governor was vocal on a range of subjects, even using Twitter to get across his views.
Taseer was a business and media tycoon who was appointed to the position of Punjab governor in May 2008.
The Punjab is Pakistan's most populous and wealthiest province, and the provincial government is run by the People's Party's chief rival party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N.
The province is a major base and recruiting ground for Pakistan's powerful military and security establishment. As religious fundamentalism has grown in Pakistan, concerns have arisen about its influence on Pakistan's soldiers, police and other armed forces.
Recently, as the People's Party has faced the loss of its coalition partners, the 56-year-old Taseer had insisted that the government will survive. But it was his public stance against the blasphemy law that apparently led to his killing.
Pakistan's blasphemy law has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The law effectively orders death for anyone convicted of insulting Islam.
Taseer had said Bibi should be granted a pardon, a stance that earned him condemnation from Islamist groups as well as threats, according to Shahbaz Bhatti, the minister for minorities.
"I was under huge pressure sure 2 cow down b4 rightest pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I'm the last man standing," Taseer tweeted on December 31.
"He was the most courageous voice after Benazir Bhutto on the rights of women and religious minorities," said a Farahnaz -Ispahani, an aide to Zardari and friend of Taseer.
An intelligence official interrogating the suspect, identified as Mumtaz Qadri, said that the police commando was boasting about the assassination, saying he was proud to have killed a blasphemer.
The killing of Salman Taseer was the most high-profile assassination of a political figure in Pakistan since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in December 2007, and it rattled a country already dealing with crises ranging from a potential collapse of the government to a virulent Islamist insurgency.
The killing could also add to concerns about inroads by Islamist extremists and fundamentalists into Pakistan's security establishment and represented another blow to the country's Pakistan's embattled secular movement.
Taseer was a member of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and a close associate of President Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower. The governor was vocal on a range of subjects, even using Twitter to get across his views.
Taseer was a business and media tycoon who was appointed to the position of Punjab governor in May 2008.
The Punjab is Pakistan's most populous and wealthiest province, and the provincial government is run by the People's Party's chief rival party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N.
The province is a major base and recruiting ground for Pakistan's powerful military and security establishment. As religious fundamentalism has grown in Pakistan, concerns have arisen about its influence on Pakistan's soldiers, police and other armed forces.
Recently, as the People's Party has faced the loss of its coalition partners, the 56-year-old Taseer had insisted that the government will survive. But it was his public stance against the blasphemy law that apparently led to his killing.
Pakistan's blasphemy law has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The law effectively orders death for anyone convicted of insulting Islam.
Taseer had said Bibi should be granted a pardon, a stance that earned him condemnation from Islamist groups as well as threats, according to Shahbaz Bhatti, the minister for minorities.
"I was under huge pressure sure 2 cow down b4 rightest pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I'm the last man standing," Taseer tweeted on December 31.
"He was the most courageous voice after Benazir Bhutto on the rights of women and religious minorities," said a Farahnaz -Ispahani, an aide to Zardari and friend of Taseer.
An intelligence official interrogating the suspect, identified as Mumtaz Qadri, said that the police commando was boasting about the assassination, saying he was proud to have killed a blasphemer.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
