Jan. 6: A Pakistani Taliban faction linked to trainer of suicide bombers Qari Hussain on Thursday claimed responsibility for the assassination of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
“We claim responsibility for the killing of Salmaan Taseer. The Punjab governor was our target and we have planned this programme and the man who killed him was from among us,” Shakirullah Shakir, a spokesman for the fidayeen group associated with Qari Hussain, said from an undisclosed location. Shakir also held out threats that those who spoke against Islam would also be murdered.
Shakir claimed Taseer was killed for supporting Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, and for his remarks against the blasphemy law. Malik Qadri, the Elite Force guard who gunned down Taseer on Tuesday, said he was angered by the governor’s criticism of a controversial blasphemy law.