Governors murder is great loss for Pakistans minorities

A Christian group has described the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer as an “act of terrorism” against Pakistan’s Christians.

Mr Taseer was shot dead by one of his bodyguards in a market in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Malik Mumtaz Hussein Qadri was detained by police and admitted to shooting the governor. He reportedly said he had killed Mr Taseer because of his support for changes to the blasphemy laws, which carry an automatic death sentence.

Police are questioning other members of Mr Taseer’s security detail to ascertain whether Mr Qadri acted alone.

UK coordinator of The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), Nasir Saeed, said the murder signalled a “very dark day for Christians in Pakistan”.

Mr Taseer had in recent months become a vocal advocate for changes to the blasphemy laws and had met Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death for blasphemy last November.

He was among the politicians petitioning President Asif Ali Zardari to pardon Bibi and reform the blasphemy laws amid concerns over widespread misuse by Islamic extremists.

Mr Saeed said the murder of Mr Taseer had taken away from Christians the chance to be represented and have their voices heard.

“It’s a great loss for Pakistani religious minorities because Salman Taseer was vocal about minority rights, changes to blasphemy laws on several occasions, and on the release of Asia Bibi from prison particularly,” he said.

“The killing is a terrorist act against the Christians of Pakistan and it is a serious attempt to stop any possible changes to the blasphemy law.

“This is a very dark day for Christians in Pakistan.”

Mr Taseer is the most high profile political figure to be murdered in Pakistan since the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.

Thousands of people turned out for his funeral in Lahore today amid tight security.

According to the BBC, hundreds of Islamic scholars warned that anyone expressing grief over Taseer’s death could suffer the same fate.

The Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan said in a statement: “No Muslim should attend the funeral or even try to pray for Salman Taseer or even express any kind of regret or sympathy over the incident.”

Leaders around the world have condemned the killing.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement: “I had the opportunity to meet Governor Taseer in Pakistan and I admired his work to promote tolerance and the education of Pakistan’s future generations. His death is a great loss.”