Tight security at Pakistan governor’s funeral prayers
By IANSWednesday, January 5, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Thousands policemen and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers were deployed at the Governor House in Lahore Wednesday where various political leaders and senior government officials were to attend the funeral prayers of assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer.
Taseer’s body will be laid to rest at a graveyard in the Cavalry Ground of the city, Dawn reported. The body will be taken to the ground by a helicopter.
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.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, among other senior government officials, will attend the funeral. Security has been beefed-up 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.
The high-profile governor was killed by a member of his special security squad Tuesday when he was coming out of a coffee shop and walking towards his vehicle in Islamabad’s upscale Koshar market. His body was flown into Lahore the same day.
The assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, immediately surrendered.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has formed a joint probe team to investigate the murder.
Malik said: “We want to ascertain whether it was an act of an individual or someone else is also behind this killing.”
