* Salmaan
Taseer shot dead by own guard in federal capital
* Postmortem reveals governor was shot from behind, had
27 bullet marks on body
* Guard, nine other personnel of Elite Force arrested
from scene of crime, shifted to Kohsar Police Station
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was martyred
by one of his guards in the federal capital on Tuesday.
According to sources and witnesses, Taseer, who was
residing in a guest house of his company located in
sector F-6/3, after visiting the Presidency and
Parliament House, had a meeting with the information
minister and came back to F-6 and had lunch at a
restaurant in the Kohsar Market.
After
having lunch, the 65-year-old Taseer came out of the
restaurant, but his gunman Malik Mumtaz Qadri
shot a
burst with an SMG gun, due to which the governor died on
the spot. His body was shifted to the Polyclinic, where
doctors confirmed his death.
It was the most high-profile political killing in the
country since former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was
assassinated in December 2007.
A witness said Taseer was stepping out of his car at a
shopping area when he was shot.
“The governor fell down and the man who fired at him
threw down his gun and raised both hands,” said the
witness, Ali Imran.
Security personnel rushed to the scene of the crime and
cordoned off the area.
It was learnt in the postmortem report that the gunman
had fired on the governor from behind.
The postmortem was done by Dr Arshad of Polyclinic, Dr
Farukh of PIMS and other doctors, in which it was learnt
that there were marks of 27 bullets on the body, which
had hit the legs, back and neck, but the governor’s
heart was safe.
Sources told that the bullets that hit the neck had been
the reason for the governor’s death.
Meanwhile, Qadri and nine other personnel of the Elite
Force were arrested from the scene of the crime and
shifted to the Kohsar Police Station. “He confessed that
he killed the governor because he had called the
blasphemy law a black law,” Interior Minister Rehman
Malik said.
Taseer was outspoken against the Taliban and terrorists
hunkered down in the country’s northwest, who have also
made increasing inroads into Punjab in recent years.
Also, Federal Population Welfare Minister Firdous Ashiq
Awan said that an FIR had been filed, adding that other
details would be included after consulting the aggrieved
family.
Killer Had
Informed Fellow Guards
ISLAMABAD: Mumtaz Qadri, the
assassin of Salman Taseer, has disclosed
during investigation that he had
informed his fellow guards about
planning to assassinate Governor Punjab,
Geo News reported sources as saying.
Meanwhile, he also told investigating
officials that he had been ruled out of
Special Branch owing to security risk
some times ago, sources said.
Informing his fellow security guards
about the plot, Mumtaz Qadri, had
requested that they (other guards)
should not open fire at him after
killing of Salman Taseer as he had
pledged that he would lay down arms
after assassination, sources quoted
investigating officials as saying.He had
said that he wanted to be arrested
alive, sources said.
World condemns Taseer’s assassination
LAHORE: The assassination of
Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has been
condemned worldwide. US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday
condemned the assassination of the
governor of Pakistan's Punjab province,
calling his death "a great loss."
"We strongly condemn the assassination
today in Pakistan of Punjab Provincial
Governor Salman Taseer," 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,"
the chief US diplomat said.
"Our deepest sympathies are with
Governor Taseer's wife and children,"
she added.
France on Tuesday condemned the
assassination of the governor of
Pakistan's Punjab province, hailing him
as a man known for his "courage in
defending democratic institutions."
"France firmly condemns the
assassination on Tuesday of the governor
of Punjab Salman Taseer. Governor Taseer
was a political personality of the
highest order," deputy foreign ministry
spokeswoman Christine Fages said.
The United States said Tuesday that the
assassination of the governor of
Pakistan's Punjab province, Salman
Taseer, was a "great loss" because he
was trying to stabilize his country.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
will offer Washington's condolences to
Hussain Haqqani, the Pakistani
ambassador to Washington, when she meets
him later Tuesday, State Department
spokesman Philip Crowley told
"From our standpoint, his death is a
great loss. He was committed to helping
the government and people of Pakistan
persevere in their campaign to bring
peace and stability to their country,"
he added.
US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter
has expressed his deep grief and
condolences over the assassination of
Governor Punjab Salman Taseer.
"I am deeply saddened by the
assassination of Governor Taseer. On
behalf of the United States, I offer my
condolences to his wife and children,"
said Cameron Munter.
Speaking about the assassination of
Salman Taseer, Ambassador Munter said,
"He had the courage of his convictions
and was a champion of tolerance. His
death is a great loss to the people of
Pakistan," says a US Embassy press
release issued here Tuesday.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on
Tuesday condemned the assassination of
the governor of Pakistan's Punjab
province calling it a blow to the
country.
"The secretary general condemns the
assassination today of the governor of
Punjab province," said UN spokesman
Martin Nesirky. The official, Salman
Taseer, was shot dead by a bodyguard
opposed to his criticism of blasphemy
laws.
Ban called the governor "a prominent
leader whose death is a loss for
Pakistan."
People from all walks of life including
politicians, civil society, trader
unions and Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan have condemned the tragic death
of Salmaan Taseer, while expressing deep
sense of sorrow and grief over the sad
demise.
The PPP’s Punjab Leadership, members of
provincial cabinet including Law
Minister Rana Sana Ullah and leaders of
other political parties while condemning
the assassination of Punjab Governor
Salmaan Taseer demanded exemplary
punishment for the accused involved in
the murder conspiracy.
In their separate statements, PPP’s
Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich,
Secretary Information, Dr. Fakhruddin
Ch, Secretary Finance, Aurangzeb Burki
and Additional Secretary Dr. Hasnaat
Shah termed governor’s murder a big loss
for the PPP and demanded arrest of those
who masterminded his assassination.
Speaker Punjab Assembly, Rana Muhammad
Iqbal, Senior Punjab Minister, Raja Riaz,
provincial Ministers, Rana Sana Ullah,
Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Dr. Tanvirul Islam,
Ch. Abdul Ghafoor, Ahmed Ali Aulakh,
Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Malik Nadeem
Kamran, Kamran Michael, Member
Provincial Assembly Syed Zaeem Hussain
Qadri and Dr. Saeed Elahi have expressed
deep sense of sorrow and grief over the
assassination of Governor Punjab Salman
Taseer.
Senior PPP leader and Chairman Evacuee
Property Trust Board, Syed Asif Hashmi
held a condolence meeting at his
residence and condemned late Taseer’s
murder in strongest words.
In their separate condolence messages,
all ministers and PPP leaders prayed
that may Allah Almighty rest the
departed soul in eternal peace and grant
courage and strength to the bereaved
family to bear this irreparable loss
with fortitude.
