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Salman Taseer

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Salmaan Taseer
Salmaan Taseer in 2009
26th Governor of Punjab, Pakistan
In office
15 May 2008 – 4 January 2011
Preceded byLt Gen Khalid Maqbool
Succeeded bySardar Latif Khosa
Personal details
Born(1944-05-31)31 May 1944[1][2]
Simla, Punjab, British India
Died4 January 2011(2011-01-04) (aged 66)
Islamabad, Pakistan
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party
SpouseAamna Taseer
ChildrenShaan
Shehryar[3]
Shahbaz[3]
Sara
Sanam
Shehrbano[3]
Aatish Taseer
ResidenceGovernor's House (Lahore) (official)
Alma materChartered Accountant, from London[4]

Salmaan Taseer (Urdu, Punjabi: سلمان تاثیر; May 31, 1944[1][2][5] – January 4, 2011) was a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the 26th governor of the province of Punjab from 2008 until his assassination in early 2011.

A member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), he had served also as a minister in the caretaker cabinet of Prime Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro under Pervez Musharraf. Taseer was also the chairman and CEO of the First Capital and Worldcall Group.[6]

He was appointed to the post of governor on 15 May 2008, in place of outgoing governor Lt Gen (R) Khalid Maqbool,[7] by then-President Musharraf at the request of the PPP establishment.

On 4 January 2011, Taseer was assassinated in Islamabad by his own security guard Mumtaz Qadri, who disagreed with Taseer's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.[8]

Early life

Salmaan Taseer was of Kashmiri descent on his father's side.[9]

He was born on 31 May 1944, in Simla, British India, of a family hailing from Amritsar. His grandfather was a peasant named Mian Atta ud Din. His father was Muhammad Din Taseer, popularly known as M.D. Taseer, who was born at Ajnala, Amritsar in 1902.[10]

M.D. Taseer, a Professor at M.A.O. College, Amritsar, obtained his PhD in the United Kingdom. He was a close friend of Allama Iqbal, who officiated at the Nikah ceremony between him and his wife, Christobel George.[10]

Salmaan Taseer's mother, Bilqis (Christobel) Taseer, an Englishwoman,[11] was the sister of Alys Faiz, a writer and poet, who was herself the wife of renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz.[10]

M.D. Taseer died, aged 47 years, in 1950, when Salmaan Taseer was six years old,[12] and Salmaan and his two sisters (one of whom was Salmaa Mahmud Taseer), were brought up by their mother, in relative poverty.[13]

Personal life

Salmaan Taseer married Aamna Taseer; the couple resided in Lahore. They have three children: Shahbaz, Shehryar and Shehrbano. Shehrbano is a journalist for Newsweek.[14] Salmaan Taseer also has 3 children from a previous marriage: Sara, Shaan and Sanam.[citation needed]

Taseer also had a son, Aatish, in 1980 with Indian journalist Tavleen Singh. Though married at the time, Taseer met Singh during a book promotion trip to India in March 1980. According to Aatish, their "affair lasted little more than a week."[15] Aatish is a freelance journalist in the UK and has recently written a book – Stranger to History: A Son’s Journey through Islamic Lands – about his estranged relationship with his biological father.[16][17]

In the early 1980s, Taseer had a year long affair with Bollywood actress Simi Garewal.[18]

Taseer was known to be one of the trusted aides of Benazir Bhutto.[4] He was a classmate of Nawaz Sharif at St. Anthony's School in Lahore,[4] and had obtained a degree in Chartered Accountancy from London.[4]

On 26 August 2011, his son, Shahbaz Taseer, was kidnapped in Lahore by unidentified gunmen.[19]

Political career

Taseer started his political career in his student era, as a member of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the late 1960s.[20] He was a part of the movement for Mr. Bhutto's freedom and opposed his arrest and death sentence.[20] He also wrote a political biography on Bhutto titled Bhutto: A political biography (1980).[20]

In the 1988 general elections, Taseer became a member of the Punjab Assembly from Lahore.[20] In the 1990, 1993 and 1997 general elections, he stood for election to be an MNA but lost.[20]

In 2007, he was appointed the interim Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives.[20]

On 15 May 2008, Taseer was designated for the office of Governor of Punjab by the PPP-led coalition government.

Business career

Taseer set up several chartered accountancy and management consultancy firms early in his career.[21] In 1995, he established the First Capital Securities Corporation (FCSC), a full service brokerage house with equity participation by Smith Barney, Inc., USA, and HG Asia Hong Kong.[21]

Taseer founded the Worldcall group with a payphone network in 1996. The group has grown over the years to become a major private-sector telecom operator with a national and regional footprint.[21] A majority stake in Worldcall was acquired in 2008 by Omantel, the Sultanate of Oman's incumbent operator.[22]

Taseer also owned an English news channel in Pakistan, Business Plus; and the first children's channel, Wikkid Plus;[21] and was the publisher of the English language Daily Times.[21]

Incarceration

Taseer was kept in solitary confinement for six months and three weeks at the Lahore Fort, where he was shackled to the ground. He did not meet a single person, or read a book or newspaper during his incarceration and emerged 40 pounds lighter than when he had gone in.[clarification needed]

Taseer was arrested 16 times and placed under house arrest several times in jails around Faisalabad, Jhang and Lahore.[23]

Controversy

In an interview with Meher Bukhari on Samaa TV, Taseer commented on his view about the country's blasphemy law and on filing a mercy petition for Asia Bibi who has been sentenced to death by a court under the Blasphemy Law.[24]

In December 2010 Taseer was alleged to have left the country for several days without handing over charge to the Punjab Assembly Speaker. This meant that the province was without a constitutional head, and it also rendered the assembly speaker ineligible to preside over sessions. Leaving the province without informing his successor was in violation of the constitution and this led to Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal sending a letter to Prime Minister Gilani calling for the removal of Salmaan Taseer by the President.[25] Evidence provided by ICAO on the governor's travel abroad, led to a case being filed in court for breach of the constitution.[26]

Death

On 4 January 2011, one of Taseer's bodyguards, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, shot him 27 times with an MP5 sub-machine gun at Kohsar Market,[27] near his home[28] in Sector F6, Islamabad, as he was returning to his car after meeting a friend for lunch. Kohsar Market is a popular shopping and cafe spot for the city's elite and expatriates.[8][29] Eight hours before his assassination, he tweeted an Urdu couplet by Shakeel Badayuni: "My resolve is so strong that I do not fear the flames from without, I fear only the radiance of the flowers, that it might burn my garden down."[30][clarification needed]

The next day, hundreds of people turned up for governor Salman Taseer's funeral in Lahore in spite of denunciation by some (in fact the majority of) clerics and religious scholars (from all sects and groups) from mourning Taseer.[31][32] Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and many supporters of the ruling PPP were seen attending the funeral prayer. The funeral prayers were finally led by Allama Afzal Chisti of the Ulema wing of the PPP after the chief cleric of the Badshahi Mosque, who had initially agreed to offer prayers, backed off at the last moment, saying he was going out of town.[33] Taseer was buried at a military cantonment in Lahore.[34]

Assassin

The assassin Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri is from Punjab, and was part of the security detail provided to Taseer by the Elite Police. After the shooting, Qadri threw his weapon down and put his hands up when one of his colleagues aimed at him. He reportedly pleaded to be arrested.[35] Qadri reportedly said he killed Taseer due to the latter's vocal opposition to the blasphemy law in Pakistan.[36][37] Taseer was against the blasphemy law and termed it a black law. Notably, Taseer made headlines when he favoured the Christian Pakistani woman, Asia Bibi,[24] who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy.[38] It was suspected that this was the main reason for his assassination.[39][40] According to a report in Dawn, the assailant was associated with Dawat-e-Islami, a religious organisation associated with the Barelvi movement.[41] After the murder, more than five-hundred clerics of the movement voiced support for the crime and urged a general boycott of Taseer's funeral.[42] Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri blocked police attempting to bring him to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi, and some supporters even showered him with rose petals.[43] On 1 October 2011, Qadri was sentenced to death by a Pakistani Anti Terrorist court at Islamabad for murdering Taseer.[44]

Reactions

Domestic
  • Pakistan Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf expressed grief over the assassination, adding that Taseer was a seasoned politician and his death was a loss for not only the PPP but also the entire country.[45] Many members of the country's business community also conveyed their shock after the killing.[46]
  • Pakistan The Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif condemned the killing, saying, "This is really a big loss for the PPP and as we believe friendly politics deeply condemn this murder, praying for Mr. Taseer."
  • Pakistan The Government of Punjab ordered all public institutions and schools to shut on 5 January in honour of Taseer.
  • Pakistan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan condemned Malik Mumtaz Qadri’s, the man who gunned down Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, reception as a hero on the premises of the Anti Terrorism Court, “Salmaan Taseer never demanded that the blasphemy laws be repealed; rather he spoke against their misuse. He was gunned down because of the misperception that he is anti-Islamic and anti-blasphemy laws,” Imran Khan said.
  • The Punjab Provincial Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning the assassination and praising Taseer's political and social services.[47]
  • Pakistan The Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, an Islamic religious organisation representing the Barelvi movement, issued an advisory against mourning his death.[32][34] They also declared Qadri a "hero of the Muslim world."[48]
  • Pakistan A Taliban commander in South Waziristan said that Taseer would have been assassinated anyway "very soon" even if he had not been killed by Qadri.[49]
  • Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and current President Zardari, spoke at a memorial service for Taseer in London saying: "To the Christian and other minority communities in Pakistan, we will defend you...those who wish to harm you need to go through me first. Allah has promised them (perpetrators) hell, and we shall send them there." He also said a jihad is needed to combat extremism in Pakistan, while condemning those who praised the assassination.[50]
International
  • United Nations United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the assassination calling it a "loss for Pakistan."[51]
  • India Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna condemned the killing a letter to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The Ministry of External Affairs also said: "On behalf of the people and the Government of India and his own, Mr. Krishna conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and the people of Pakistan."[52]
  • France France condemned the assassination and hailed Taseer as a man known for his "courage in defending democratic institutions." Deputy Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages said, "France firmly condemns the assassination on Tuesday of the governor of Punjab Salman Taseer. Governor Taseer was a political personality of the highest order."[53]
  • Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari "[o]ffering his condolences to Zardari and condemning the assassination, the Turkish PM also asked the president to convey his heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and the people of the country."[54]
  • United Kingdom British Foreign Secretary William Hague stated that he was "shocked to hear of the assassination of Salmaan Taseer" and that "his death will be a loss to the leadership of Pakistan. On behalf of the British government I send my condolences to Mr Taseer’s family, friends and colleagues."[55]
  • United States United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly condemned the assassination of Taseer saying she "admired his work to promote tolerance and the education of Pakistan’s future generations" and that his death "is a great loss."[56] Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry also condemned the assassination: "Governor Taseer was a proud champion of democracy and respect for the rights of women and minorities. He fearlessly stood up to the threats of extremists, and lost his life in defense of moderation and tolerance, values shared by most Pakistani citizens. The best way to honor his legacy is to continue resisting violent extremism and supporting the core principles on which Pakistan was founded."[57]
  • Holy See Pope Benedict XVI called for the repeal of the blasphemy law and also called on governments in Muslim-majority countries to protect Christians from violent attacks. He told the Holy See's diplomats that the law was a pretext for violence against minorities. He also added that "The tragic murder of the governor of Punjab shows the urgent need to make progress in this direction." The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam responded in saying: "The pope has given a statement today that has not only offended the 180 million Muslims in Pakistan, it has also hurt the sentiments of the entire Islamic world. This is an interference in Pakistan's internal matters...we respect the pope, being head of Christians and their religion, but he should also refrain from interfering in Muslims' religious affairs."[58]

Possible repercussions

In the international media, his death was seen as more destabilising for the tenuous situation in the country, particularly in the light of resignation of members of the ruling coalition. One local analyst said the death was a "major setback for Pakistan, which is trying to get out of this vicious cycle of violence and worsening economy. [The killing] will certainly weaken the party position in Punjab."[59] It was suggested that the killing was indicative of a "deeper trend" of "religious intolerance" afflicting Pakistan. [60] The son of the late governor, Shahbaz Taseer, who was a witness in Mumtaz Qadri's trial, was kidnapped on 26 August 2011 while he was on his way to work in Lahore, Pakistan.[61] After twelve days of unsuccessful attempts by the Pakistani police to recover him, some news sources reported that Shahbaaz, along with an American aid worker Dr Warren Weinstein, was held captive by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.[62][63]

Taseer's assassination may dissuade other Pakistani politicians from speaking out against the blasphemy law, according to a former U.S. State Department intelligence analyst with the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC.[64]

Political offices
Preceded by Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives[65]
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by Governor of Punjab
2008–2011 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ a b "R.I.P. Lion of the Punjab Salmaan Taseer (31 May 1944-04 Jan 2011)". Twitter Salmaan Taseer. 4 January 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Salmaan Taseer shaheed". The Governor House Lahore, Punjab. 4 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Meet the Governor: Family Life". The Governor House, Lahore, Punjab. 2010. Retrieved January 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d "Profile of new Punjab Governor". APP. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  5. ^ Salmaan Taseer: 1946–2011, Daily Times, 5 January 2011
  6. ^ "Details of Salmaan Taseer".
  7. ^ "Salmaan Taseer to be new Punjab governor". Daily Times. 15 May 2008.
  8. ^ a b Haider, Zeeshan; Georgy, Michael (4 January 2011). "Pakistan's Punjab province governor shot dead". Reuters. Retrieved 4 January 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "'To Hell Where They Belong': In conversation with Salmaan Taseer, governor of the Punjab". Newsweek Pakistan. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012. "Kashmiris in Pakistan are not only in Azad Kashmir, they are spread all over. I am a Kashmiri. There are thousands and thousands of Kashmiris in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, and there’s huge amounts of sympathy for the Kashmiri cause across Pakistan."
  10. ^ a b c Usman, Ali (5 January 2010). "Remembering the man: The lesser known side of Salmaan Taseer". The Express Tribune.
  11. ^ "Once upon a time..." The Indian Express. 8 March 2009.
  12. ^ Malik, Muhammad Amin (22 December 2011). "Remembering a Personality". Greater Kashmir.
  13. ^ "Stephen Sackur Interviews Shehrbano Taseer". BBC. 30 April. 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Pakistani Journalist Shehrbano Taseer on Murder of Her Father, Salmaan Taseer, & Confronting Militancy in Pakistan". democracynow.org.
  15. ^ By: A Correspondent   Date:  2011-01-06   Place: Mumbai (6 January 2011). "A son in search of his father". Mid-day.com. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |author= at position 4 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Present In Our Memory Games". outlookindia.com.
  17. ^ "Clash of Civilisations?". newslinemagazine.com. July 2009.
  18. ^ "A Lahore Boy In Delhi | Vrinda Gopinath". Outlookindia.com.
  19. ^ "Gunmen Seize Son of Slain Pakistani Official". New York Times. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Salman Taseer Profile". Pakistan Herald. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  21. ^ a b c d e "Profile of Salman Taseer". Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  22. ^ "Omantel acquires 65 percent shares of WorldCall". Daily Times. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
  23. ^ "Incarceration – Meet the Governor". The Governor House Lahore, Punjab. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  24. ^ a b Wright, Tom (5 JANUARY 2011). "Leading Pakistani Politician Killed". Wall Street Journal. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Punjab Assembly: Speaker calls to remove Taseer from office". The Express Tribune. 19 December 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  26. ^ "The News". The News. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  27. ^ "Punjab Governor Salman Taseer assassinated in Islamabad". British Broadcasting Company. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  28. ^ Wergeland, Paal; Auestad, Gunn Evy (4 January 2011). "Pakistansk guvernør drept" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 January 2011. Skytingen brøt ut i nærheten av Kohsar, et marked som er populært blant rike pakistanere og utlendinger. Guvernørens hjem ligger i det samme området.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ "Punjab Governor Salman Taseer Assassinated in Islamabad, Pakistan". BBC news. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2001. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  30. ^ Mohammed Hanif (6 January 2011). "How Pakistan responded to Salmaan Taseer's assassination, by Mohammed Hanif, The Guardian, Thursday 6 January 2011". The Guardian.
  31. ^ [Sana Saleem, "Salmaan Taseer: murder in an extremist climate", The Guardian, 5 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  32. ^ a b Aleem Maqbool and Orla Guerin, "Salman Taseer: Thousands mourn Pakistan governor": "One small religious party, the Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan, warned that anyone who expressed grief over the assassination could suffer the same fate. 'No Muslim should attend the funeral or even try to pray for Salman Taseer or even express any kind of regret or sympathy over the incident,' the party said in a statement. It said anyone who expressed sympathy over the death of a blasphemer was also committing blasphemy." BBC News South Asia, 5 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  33. ^ Clerics refuse to lead prayer at Taseer's funeral, Omer Farooq Khan, TNN, 6 Jan 2011, 01.48 am IST.
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  35. ^ Pakistan governor's suspected murderer showered with roses, praised by scholars, Babar Dogar, Lahore – The Associated Press, Published Wednesday, 5 Jan. 2011
  36. ^ "Governor assassinated in Islamabad, Pakistan". IndiaVoice. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  37. ^ KK GHEI SR.VICE PRESIDENT (27 December 2010). "Christians step up campaign for release of Asia Bibi". The Indian Express. {{cite web}}: Text "27 Dec 2010" ignored (help)
  38. ^ Jill McGivering, "Pakistan on strike against bill to amend blasphemy law", BBC News South Asia, 31 Dec 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  39. ^ M. Ilyas Khan, "Punjab Governor Salman Taseer assassinated in Islamabad", BBC News South Asia, 4 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  40. ^ Karin Brulliard, "Salman Taseer assassination points to Pakistani extremists' mounting power", Washington Post, 5 Jan 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  41. ^ "Assassin linked with Dawat-i-Islami". Dawn (newspaper). 4 January 2011.
  42. ^ R. Upadhyay, Barelvis and Deobandhis: “Birds of the Same Feather”. Eurasia Review, courtesy of the South Asia Analysis Group. January 28, 2011.
  43. ^ "Demonstrators Prevent Court Appearance of Alleged Pakistani Assassin". Voice of America. 6 January 2011.
  44. ^ "Former Governor of Pakistan's killer punished – A – पाकिस्तान के पूर्व गवर्नर के हत्यारे को सजा-ए-मौत". bhaskar.com.
  45. ^ "Assassination of Taseer is loss of entire country: Musharraf (Online – International News Network)". Onlinenews.com.pk.
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  47. ^ "Leading News Resource of Pakistan". Daily Times. 11 January 2011.
  48. ^ Taseer’s murder: Religious right heralds the assassin as ‘hero’, The Express Tribune (Pakistan), 6 January 2011.
  49. ^ Yousafzai, Sami (6 January 2011). "Blasphemy Backlash: Extremists may target other moderate Pakistani leaders in the wake of Punjab governor's killing". Newsweek.
  50. ^ http://blogs.aljazeera.net/asia/2011/01/11/my-jihad-versus-your-jihad
  51. ^ "UN, US condemn assassination". nation.com.pk. 5 January 2011.
  52. ^ "India condemns Taseer killing". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  53. ^ "World condemns Taseer's assassination". The News International. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  54. ^ Staff Report/APP (6 January 2011). "World condemns assassination". Daily Times. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  55. ^ "World leaders condemn Taseer's assassination". dailytimes.com.pk. 5 January 2011.
  56. ^ Rodham Clinton, Hillary (4 January 2011). "Assassination of Punjab Provincial Governor". U.S. State Department.
  57. ^ "Chairman Kerry on the Assassination of Salman Taseer". United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  58. ^ "Pope rebukes Pakistan blasphemy law – Europe". Al Jazeera English.
  59. ^ Sharif, Farhan. "Governor's Slaying, Rivals Hurt Pakistan's Zardari". Bloomberg.
  60. ^ "Deadly warning to Pakistan liberals". Al Jazeera. 5 January 2011.
  61. ^ "Freedom House Alert: Son of Late Pakistani Governor Taseer Kidnapped". 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  62. ^ "Shahbaz Taseer in Pak Taliban's custody: report". 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  63. ^ "Taseer's son, Dr Warren in Taliban custody". 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  64. ^ Shah, Saeed (01.04.2011). "Top Pakistani official's murder adds to Obama's Afghan woes". McClatchy Newspapers/Miami Herald. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  65. ^ "NIP News Karachi, December 19". Nip.com.pk.

Sardar Muhammad Latif Khosa succeeded the Governor of Punkjab

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