Pakistan: Salman Taseer's killer says he acted alone

The alleged murderer of the governor of Punjab said he acted alone without the support of an Islamic organization, said, Monday, Jan. 10, police in Islamabad who has obtained his confession. "Mumtaz Qadri recorded confession in which he allegedly killed Salman Taseer alone, without the aid of any religious or extremist organization," said Haroon Joya, police chief of Islamabad where the district held the murder last Tuesday.

Mumtaz Qadri was again heard by the court Monday. The judge then returned to prison pending his next hearing on Jan. 24, said one of his lawyers, Malik Waheed Anjum. Investigators said Mumtaz Qadri, a policeman of 26 years in charge of escorting Salman Taseer, was shot as he left a cafe in the capital, Islamabad, before leaving once and confess his crime.

Mumtaz Qadri, they said, justified his crime by the fact that Salman Taseer was against the blasphemy law, championed by religious conservatives.

• Aatish Taseer on his father Salman Taseer's murder (09/01/2011)
• Shehrbano Taseer on her father Salman Taseer's murder (09/01/2011)
• Punjab Governor Salman Taseer killed (04/01/2011)
• Salman Taseer Killed in Islamabad (05/01/2011)
• "Salman Taseer assassination points to Pakistani extremists' mounting power" and related posts (06/01/2011)