This is a highly telling incident. This appears to be confirmation that the US and UK strategy to invent a new Islam and force it on everyone is absurd and unworkable. You can never find a way to keep safe anyone who is not with the Islamic orthodoxy as we see here. A ‘moderate’ is killed by his own guard. How do you defend against that?
The time to recognize the enemy for what it is, is close. Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. How can we know those in charge of them are not with that bodyguard, who have to be amongst the most carefully vetted of the Pakistani population.
Thanks to Encompassed Runner for these 2 links:
Below, an article from Tribune.com about his stance on the blasphemy laws.
The body of the governor of Punjab province Salmaan Taseer is carried out of a hospital after he was shot dead in Islamabad January 4, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was attacked and killed in a firing incident in Islamabad’s Kohsar market on Tuesday.
8:30pm
Government of Punjab announces public holiday tomorrow (Wednesday).
PPP leader Raja Riaz will be making arrangements for the funeral to be held at Governor’s House.
7:25pm
Protests are being taken out in different parts of Punjab.
A three member panel has been formed to perform Taseer’s autopsy.
Registrar Lahore High Court has announced that all courts in Punjab will remain closed tomorrow.
6:55pm
President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the assassination of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer today and directed the Interior Minister Rehman Malik to personally supervise the investigations and report to him urgently.
Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that President was informed about the tragic assassination during a meeting of the PPP MPAs of four districts in the Bilawal House after which all the meetings scheduled for today were postponed to a later date.
The President also directed the Party leadership that the birthday functions in connection with Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s 83rd birth anniversary on Wednesday be limited only to holding of seminars at district, divisional and provincial levels without fanfare and without cake cutting ceremonies. Quran Khwani for Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Salmaan Taseer will also be held on Wednesday as part of the birth anniversary functions of Party’s founding Chairman, he said.
The President also asked the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and MNA Faryal Talpur to participate in the funeral on his behalf. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will also participate in the funeral.
6:10pm
Interior Minister Rehman Malik says the first point of investigation will be to find out whether the suspect Qadri carried out the attack as part of a larger plot or on his own.
Malik confirmed the suspect, Qadri is twenty six-years-old.
In life, Salmaan Taseer was never afraid of controversy and was never one to remain silent even when his stance on issues like militancy and the blasphemy law brought the venom of the right wing pouring on to him. Zarrar Khuhro
5:55pm
Government announced three day country-wide mourning period.
Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz sharif has arrived at the hospital.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik says investigation has been ordered into how the assassin Qadri was selected for the security of the governor.
5:40pm
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that all personnel of the governor’s security convoy have been arrested.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has announced a two week mourning period. All functions of the party have been postponed.
5:30pm
All VIP functions are under threat says Interior Minister Rehman Malik, adding that, “our colleagues criticise us when we increase vip security”.
Governor Taseer was killed to destabilise Pakistan say MQM Chief Altaf Hussain.
One of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s last tweets online:
Mera azm itna bulund hae Parae sholon se dar nahin. Mujhe dar hae tu atish e gul se hae Ye kahin chaman ko jala na dein
5:25pm
According to Syed Ali reporting for Express 24/7, the arrival of a huge crowd of people to Polyclinic is causing chaos at the hospital and preventing Governor Punjab’s body from being moved to PIMS for a post-mortem.
5:15pm
The name of the guard who carried out the attack has been confirmed as Mumtaz Qadri.
Saba Imtiaz: According to Rehman Malik, Salmaan Taseer’s guard shot him because he called the blasphemy laws a ‘kala qanoon‘.
5:10pm
Interior Minister Rehman Malik will head the enquiry into Governor Punjab’s assassination.
Karachi has been put on high alert after the attack.
5:06pm
Syed Ali reporting for Express 24/7 confirmed that Governor Punjab has been pronounced dead. Initial reports suggest Taseer received a critical injury in his neck.
5:03pm
The Governor of Punjab was leaving his residence in Islamabad when one of his guards shot him in the chest.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have condoled over the death of the Punjab Governor.
An eyewitness, while speaking to the police, has provided his account of how the gunman aimed at Taseer and shot him.
5:00pm
The alleged suspect ‘Qadri’ was allegedly part of Rawalpindi’s elite force, Express 24/7 reported.
The suspect is being held and interrogated by Rawalpindi police.
4:50pm
The hospital says the Governor received nine bullets.
4:48pm
Attackers were part of the governor’s convoy, witnesses say.
4:46pm
Police source say they have arrested a suspect in the attack.
Zulfiqar Mirza, Sindh Home Minister Qaim Ali Shah, as well as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack.
4:30pm
The governor died on the spot, according to governor house spokesman Farrukh Shah.
According to initial reports, unidentified persons fired upon the governor’s convoy and he was shifted to the Polyclinic hospital for treatment.
Witnesses said that two uniformed personnel attacked him.
Sad, real sad he was trying to save a life and lost his.