Body of Pakistani governor laid to rest (Second Lead)
By IANSWednesday, January 5, 2011
ISLAMABAD - The body of slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer was Wednesday laid to rest with national honours at the Cavalry Ground in Pakistan’s Lahore city.
Earlier, funeral prayers were held at the Governor House where thousands of people, including government officials, politicians, foreign diplomats and other dignitaries attended.
Allama Afzal Chisti of the Ulema Wing of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led the funeral prayers.
President Asif Ali Zardari, who could not attend the funeral, has sent his sister and parliamentarian Faryal Talpur to represent him at the funeral. He also sent flowers to be laid on Taseer’s body.
Senior government officials accompanied the body wrapped in a national flag to the burial ground on board a helicopter, Geo TV reported.
A Punjab Police contingent gave the final salute to Taseer at the Cavalry Ground.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Interior Minister Rehman Malik, among others, attended the funeral at the Shuhada Cemetery in the Cavalry Ground by the side of martyrs of Pakistan Army.
Others who attended the funeral included leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), such as Hyder Abbas Rizvi, Babar Ghauri, Wasay Jalil, Raza Haroon and Saif Yar Khan.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leaders included Malik Nadeem Kamran and Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi, among others. Earlier, various foreign diplomats attended the funeral prayers.
The national flag is being flown at half-mast Wednesday at all government buildings and offices in Pakistan. The federal government Tuesday declared three-day mourning for Taseer.
Security was beefed-up in the city ahead of the funeral.
About 4,000 policemen and Rangers were deployed at the Governor House. In addition, a large number of security personnel were deployed on the roads leading to the burial ground.
Governor Taseer, a vocal critic of Islamist militancy in Pakistan and a confidant of President Zardari, was shot dead in a posh area in Islamabad Tuesday by one of his guards who said he killed him for opposing blasphemy laws.
Guard Mumtaz Quadri, who belonged to an elite security agency, gave himself up to the authorities after gunning down the politician he was supposed to protect as the victim walked towards his car from a cafe in F6 sector frequented by foreigners and wealthy Pakistanis.
Taseer, who married and divorced Indian journalist Tavleen Singh after fathering a son, collapsed as nine bullets tore into him, including some which pierced his chest and neck.
His body was flown into Lahore the same day.
After the attack, the interior minister formed a joint probe team to investigate the murder. He said: “We want to ascertain whether it was an act of an individual or someone else is also behind this killing.”
