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January 4, 2011

Pakistani Governor Assassinated in Islamabad 
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A prominent Pakistani governor has been assassinated in the capital of
Islamabad. Salman Taseer was reportedly shot dead earlier today by a
member of his own security detail. Taseer was the governor of Punjab,
which is widely considered the most politically important province of
Pakistan. Taseer recently became embroiled in controversy after he spoke
out against the country's Islamic blasphemy law. In November, a
Pakistani Christian woman was sentenced to death after being found
guilty of defaming the Prophet Muhammad. In one of his last posts on
Twitter, Taseer wrote, "I was under huge pressure to cow down before
rightest pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I'm the last man
standing."



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