Pakistani Minister for Minority Affairs killed

Pakistani continues to fall closer to anarchy it seems as now extremists have killed another moderate leader. 

Gunmen killed Pakistan’s minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, Wednesday, in the second attack this year on a high-profile figure who has opposed the country’s blasphemy law.

Witnesses say the attackers fled the scene in their car without hurting Bhatti’s driver, who then rushed him to the nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.  City Police Chief Wajid Durrani spoke to reporters outside the hospital.

The police officer said the attackers intercepted Bhatti’s official car shortly after he left his residence for work and shot him several times at close range.

The slain minister belonged to the ruling party of President Asif Ali Zardari and was the only Christian member of the federal cabinet.

Bhatti had been threatened by Muslim extremists for speaking out against Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law.

Police are reported to have seized Taliban-linked leaflets from the scene of the attack warning opponents of the Islamic law of blasphemy will meet Bhatti’s fate.  In a VOA interview last month, the Pakistani minister had spoken about threats to his life, but vowed not to bow down before the extremist forces.

“This extremism is dangerous for the stability of the country,” Bhatti said. “It is the time that the people of different faiths and the Pakistani nation stand united against the forces of intolerance, against the forces of violence. The blasphemy law is being misused to victimize the innocent people of Pakistan.”

Read the rest of the story at the link above.

4 thoughts on “Pakistani Minister for Minority Affairs killed”

  1. A video of a recent interview with Mr. Bhatti is posted on The Lede blog at the NYTimes:

    http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/pakistani-minister-was-ready-to-die/

    Partial quote:

    But I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us. I know what is the meaning of [the] cross and I’m following … the cross.

    I’m ready to die for a cause. I’m living for my community and suffering people and I will die to defend their rights. So these threats and these warnings cannot change my opinion and principles. I will prefer to die for my principles and for the justice of my community rather to compromise.

  2. Not only do we have this sad news, but in Frankfurt a possible terrorist attack that left two U.S. airmen dead was reported today. Creepy since I’ve ridden that military bus (“the gray goose”) from Frankfurt to a former air base in the past. When I was there we had to contend with home-grown terrorists.

  3. Not only do we have this sad news, but in Frankfurt a possible terrorist attack that left two U.S. airmen dead was reported today. Creepy since I’ve ridden that military bus (“the gray goose”) from Frankfurt to a former air base in the past. When I was there we had to contend with home-grown terrorists.

  4. A video of a recent interview with Mr. Bhatti is posted on The Lede blog at the NYTimes:

    http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/pakistani-minister-was-ready-to-die/

    Partial quote:

    But I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us. I know what is the meaning of [the] cross and I’m following … the cross.

    I’m ready to die for a cause. I’m living for my community and suffering people and I will die to defend their rights. So these threats and these warnings cannot change my opinion and principles. I will prefer to die for my principles and for the justice of my community rather to compromise.

Comments are closed.