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Pakistan Buries Slain Minister

   VOA News  March 04, 2011
   Pakistani  female  Christians  mourn  over  the  death of their leader
   Shahbaz  Bhatti,  during  a  rally  in  his  native town Khushpur near
   Faisalabad, Pakistan, March 4, 2011

Photo: AP

   Pakistani  female  Christians  mourn  over  the  death of their leader
   Shahbaz  Bhatti,  during  a  rally  in  his  native town Khushpur near
   Faisalabad, Pakistan, March 4, 2011

   The  funeral  of  Pakistan's  only  Christian  government minister who
   challenged  the country's blasphemy law was held Friday in the capital
   city, Islamabad.
   Pakistani  Prime  Minister  Yousuf Raza Gilani attended the funeral of
   Minister  of  Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, who was gunned down Wednesday
   in Islamabad. Â
   Demonstrators  outside  the  church  demanded  punishment for Bhatti's
   killers.
   Bhatti will be buried Friday in his home village, Khushpur.
   Militants  linked  to  Taliban  and  al-Qaida  extremists have claimed
   responsibility  for the attack, saying they killed Bhatti for opposing
   the blasphemy law.
   Security has been tight in both Islamabad and Khushpur.
   Lawmakers   representing   Pakistani   minorities  have  demanded  the
   government bring Bhatti's killers to justice.
   Bhatti  is  the second high profile official to be killed recently for
   supporting  reforms  to  the  blasphemy  law  which  carries the death
   penalty  for  insulting  Islam.  Punjab  province's  governor,  Salman
   Taseer,  was  shot  dead in January by one of his bodyguards who cited
   the  politician's  opposition  to  the  controversial  legislation  as
   justification for the killing.

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