Punjab governor assassinated by guard

The governor of Pakistan's Punjab province has been shot dead by one of his guards, apparently because he had spoken out against the country's blasphemy laws.

Salman Taseer was killed in a shopping centre in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, as he was getting out of his car.

A witness said Mr Taseer's security guard shot him twice before police fired on the gunman, who was arrested.

Bullet casings and blood covered much of the scene at the market, and police quickly cordoned off the area.

Interior minister Rahman Malik said the suspect had told police he killed Mr Taseer because "the governor described the blasphemy laws as a black law".

The killing was the most high-profile political assassination in Pakistan since the slaying of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, and will rattle a country dealing with crises ranging from a potential collapse of the government to Islamist militancy.

Mr Taseer, 56, was a member of Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and a close associate of president Asif Ali Zardari, Ms Bhutto's widower. The governor was vocal on a range of subjects, and frequently used Twitter to get across his views.

Pakistan's blasphemy law has come under greater scrutiny in recent days after a Christian woman was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting Islam's prophet Mohammed.

Under pressure from Islamist parties, the People's Party said recently it would not pursue changes to the law, which has long vexed human rights activists.

Farahnaz Ispahani, an aide to Mr Zardari and friend of Mr Taseer, said: "He was the most courageous voice after Benazir Bhutto on the rights of women and religious minorities. God, we will miss him."