ISLAMABAD: The governor of Pakistan's Punjab province was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The assassin, Malik Mumtaz Qadri from Punjab Elite Force, shot dead the governor because of his high-profile opposition to the controversial blasphemy law.
The governor was gunned down when he reached Khosar Market, a shopping center in Islamabad frequented by Westerners and wealthy Pakistanis.
Qadri, according to Interior Minister Rehman Malik, pumped seven bullets into Taseer's body.
The assassin, who gave himself in to the police after the attack, said: "I have killed the governor because he wanted to undo the blasphemy law. The governor had called it a black law, therefore I killed him," he said.
Five other people were wounded as other security personnel responded to the attack.
Police official Hasan Iqbal said a pair of witnesses told the police that as the governor was leaving his vehicle, a man from his security squad fired shots at him. Taseer then fell, while other police officials fired on the attacker.
Taseer was believed to be meeting someone for a meal. Other members of his security detail were being questioned, Rehman Malik said.
The security for Taseer was provided by the Punjab government.
Salman Taseer was the son of famous poet Dr. Taseer and nephew of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, another renowned poet.
In 1977, Taseer joined Tehrik-e-Istiqlal and in 1979 after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's execution joined the Pakistan People's Party.
Taseer became Punjab governor in May 2008.
Malik said seven people were taken into custody for questioning. Security has been beefed up around Christian localities across Pakistan.
Taseer became a target of the Taleban after he took up the case of Christian woman Aasia Bibi sentenced to death for blasphemy.
Taseer remained a political rival of Sharif brothers who rule Punjab.
In the early 90s, Shehbaz Sharif, then Punjab chief minister, had jailed Taseer on some charges.
Many PPP activists shouted anti-Sharif slogans outside Polyclinic in Islamabad where Taseer's body was brought for postmortem. His body was later shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Pakistan has announced a three-day mourning for the slain governor.
During his last interview with Arab News Taseer had pledged to send the mercy petition filed by Aasia Bibi to President Asif Ali Zardari with a favorable recommendation.
Under the constitution a convicted person can address a mercy petition to the president through the governor of the respective province. Arab News
