LAHORE, Jan 05 : Assassinated Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was laid to rest with full Civil Honours at the Cavalry Ground graveyard here Wednesday after offering his funeral prayers at the Governor House lawn. There was extremely high security as more than 4000 security personnel were deployed by the Punjab government to maintain law and order and avoid any untoward incident.
High security was put in place in Lahore ahead of the governor’s funeral prayers. All roads leading towards the Governor House were closed and a large number of security personnel were deployed at the Governor House and the Cavalry graveyard.
Taseer’s funeral prayer was offered by PPP Ulema Wing General Secretary Punjab Afzal Chishti amid tight security after leading Ulema of Lahore declined to lead his funeral prayers.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman Senate Farooq H Naik, ex-Foreign Minister Khursheed Mohammad Kasuri of PML-LM, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, a six member delegation of MQM including Baber Ghauri, Haider Abbass Rizvi, Bashir Bilour of ANP and severalr Federal and Provincial ministers former IB Chief Brig Imtiaz were among a large number of people who offered the prayers.
Large number of grief stricken PPP workers also attended the funeral prayers who were carrying party flags and chanting slogans against the government of Punjab which they said failed to provide foolproof security to the slain Governor.
A large number of women activists and leaders of PPP also reached the Governor house. Many of them were seen weeping and raising slogans against the Provincial Government.
At least two suspected persons identified as Imran Mughal hailing from Attock and Zubair resident of Bhakkar were taken into custody near the Governor House on suspicion. The suspects were shifted to unknown place for investigation by intelligence agencies.
The entire Lahore city was shut down and authorities had put a ring of steel around key installations to guard against possible unrest after dozens of supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against the killing.
“Security is on high alert in Lahore and in the entire Punjab,” Lahore commissioner Khusro Pervez told reporters.
Meanwhile Investigators are focused on whether the police commando, who confessed to killing Taseer because of calls to reform blasphemy law, acted alone or as part of a wider conspiracy.
“We will investigate whether it was an individual act or there is some organisation behind it,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters. He named the assassin as Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, a government-trained commando assigned to the governor on at least five or six previous occasions.
“We want to know who put his name on the duty list. We know he visited the police supervisor to get his name on the list,” Malik told reporters.
According to the preliminary autopsy report, Taseer’s body had 29 bullet wounds front and back, puncturing his vital organs.
The Punjab government has also formed an investigation team to probe the incident and the team will present the investigation report to the interior ministry within 24 hours as ordered by the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zaradar. FIR of the case was lodged in Koshisar Police Station on the behalf of late Taseer’s son.
The PPP has announced two-week mourning, while ceremonies to mark the birthday of PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto have been cancelled.
The national flag will be put at half mast for three days. PPP workers have staged protests in various cities of Punjab to condemn the assassination. Markets and shops remained closed in Lahore on Wednesday.
High security was put in place in Lahore ahead of the governor’s funeral prayers. All roads leading towards the Governor House were closed and a large number of security personnel were deployed at the Governor House and the Cavalry graveyard.
Taseer’s funeral prayer was offered by PPP Ulema Wing General Secretary Punjab Afzal Chishti amid tight security after leading Ulema of Lahore declined to lead his funeral prayers.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman Senate Farooq H Naik, ex-Foreign Minister Khursheed Mohammad Kasuri of PML-LM, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, a six member delegation of MQM including Baber Ghauri, Haider Abbass Rizvi, Bashir Bilour of ANP and severalr Federal and Provincial ministers former IB Chief Brig Imtiaz were among a large number of people who offered the prayers.
Large number of grief stricken PPP workers also attended the funeral prayers who were carrying party flags and chanting slogans against the government of Punjab which they said failed to provide foolproof security to the slain Governor.
A large number of women activists and leaders of PPP also reached the Governor house. Many of them were seen weeping and raising slogans against the Provincial Government.
At least two suspected persons identified as Imran Mughal hailing from Attock and Zubair resident of Bhakkar were taken into custody near the Governor House on suspicion. The suspects were shifted to unknown place for investigation by intelligence agencies.
The entire Lahore city was shut down and authorities had put a ring of steel around key installations to guard against possible unrest after dozens of supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against the killing.
“Security is on high alert in Lahore and in the entire Punjab,” Lahore commissioner Khusro Pervez told reporters.
Meanwhile Investigators are focused on whether the police commando, who confessed to killing Taseer because of calls to reform blasphemy law, acted alone or as part of a wider conspiracy.
“We will investigate whether it was an individual act or there is some organisation behind it,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters. He named the assassin as Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, a government-trained commando assigned to the governor on at least five or six previous occasions.
“We want to know who put his name on the duty list. We know he visited the police supervisor to get his name on the list,” Malik told reporters.
According to the preliminary autopsy report, Taseer’s body had 29 bullet wounds front and back, puncturing his vital organs.
The Punjab government has also formed an investigation team to probe the incident and the team will present the investigation report to the interior ministry within 24 hours as ordered by the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zaradar. FIR of the case was lodged in Koshisar Police Station on the behalf of late Taseer’s son.
The PPP has announced two-week mourning, while ceremonies to mark the birthday of PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto have been cancelled.
The national flag will be put at half mast for three days. PPP workers have staged protests in various cities of Punjab to condemn the assassination. Markets and shops remained closed in Lahore on Wednesday.
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