Punjab governor suspected killer praised

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP):

LAWYERS SHOWERED the suspected killer of a prominent Pakistani governor with rose petals when he arrived at court Wednesday and an influential Muslim scholars group praised the assassination of the outspoken opponent of laws that order death for those who insult Islam.

Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's killing has sent tremors through the ranks of Pakistan's already embattled progressives and rights activists. Thousands gathered to mourn the politician at his funeral in the city of Lahore.

Taseer was shot dead Tuesday, allegedly at the hands of one of the men assigned to protect him - police commando Mumtaz Qadri, 26, who police say confessed to killing Taseer because of the politician's opposition to strict blasphemy laws.

As Qadri made his first appearance in an Islamabad court, where a judge remanded him in custody, the hero's welcome he received illustrated Pakistan's growing identity crisis as fundamentalist Islam has spread here over the years, forcing even secular political parties to curry favour with the religious right.

A rowdy crowd slapped Qadri on the back and kissed his cheek as he was escorted inside the court. Lawyers not involved in his case tossed rose petals, while hundreds of sympathisers chanted slogans in his favour and one gave him a flower necklace.

More than 500 clerics and scholars from the group, Jamat Ahle Sunnat, said no one should pray or express regret for the killing. The group representing Pakistan's majority Barelvi sect, which follows a brand of Islam considered moderate, also issued a veiled threat to other opponents of the blasphemy laws.

"The supporter is as equally guilty as one who committed blasphemy," the group warned in a statement, adding politicians, the media and others should learn "a lesson from the exemplary death".

Amid tight security, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other senior ruling party officials joined up to 6,000 mourners who gathered under tight security to pay homage to Taseer at the funeral in the eastern city of Lahore. Other parties, including the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League, which is more aligned with religious groups, had limited presence at the event.

Suicide attacks

Taseer's assassination has further deepened the turmoil in nuclear-armed Pakistan, where the economy is barely scraping by and suicide attacks by Taliban-linked groups are an ongoing threat. Taseer, 66, was a senior member of the ruling party and close ally of United States-backed President Asif Ali Zardari. He is the highest-profile political figure to be assassinated since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was slain three years ago.

Qadri, who allegedly pumped more than 20 rounds from his assault rifle into Taseer's back in an Islamabad market Tuesday, has yet to be charged. Questions have arisen over how he managed to be assigned to Taseer's security detail.

Faisal Raza Abdi, political adviser to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, said Punjab police had told him that the department had months ago deemed Qadri as a security risk and warned that he should not assigned to protect high-profile figures. Abdi said the fact that he was allowed to guard Taseer suggested others may have played a role in the killing.