Coordinates	55°45′06″N37°37′04″N
{{infobox album | name	Mustt Mustt | Type Album | Longtype | Artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | Cover NusratFatehAliKhan-MusttMustt.jpg | Released 1990 | Recorded | Genre Qawwali | Length 49:43 | Label Real World | Producer Michael Brook | Last album ''Shahen-Shah''(1988) | This album ''Mustt Mustt'' (1990) | Next album ''Magic Touch''(1991) }}

''Mustt Mustt'' is the first Qawwali fusion album collaboration between singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and guitarist and producer Michael Brook, although the album itself is credited purely to Khan. It was rock musician Peter Gabriel who suggested that Brook and Khan work together. It was released in 1990 on Gabriel's Real World Records label.

This album, along with ''Night Song'', contributed tracks to the remix album ''Star Rise''.

The song "Mustt Mustt" was remixed by British trip hop group Massive Attack and was a club hit in the United Kingdom, being the first song in Urdu to reach the British charts. It was later used in an advert for Coca Cola.

Reception

''Mustt Mustt'' was voted one of the Top 100 albums of the 1990s by American music magazine ''Alternative Press''. It reached #14 on the ''Billboard'' Top World Music Albums chart in 1991. David Lynch of the ''The Austin Chronicle'' called the album a "seminal fusion". British musician Nitin Sawhney said that it "changed the face of British music forever". It was considered a "secularized" or "Western" version of Khan's other Qawwali albums.

Track listing

# "Mustt Mustt (Lost in His Work)" (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) – 5:15 # "Nothing Without You (Tery Bina)" (Khan) – 5:04 # "Tracery" (Michael Brook) – 4:48 # "The Game" (Robert Ahwai, Brook, Khan) – 4:59 # "Taa Deem" (Khan) – 4:47 # "Sea of Vapours" (Brook) – 3:55 # "Fault Lines" (Brook) – 4:13 # "Tana Dery Na" (Brook, Khan) – 4:23 # "Shadow" (Khan) – 3:04 # "Avenue" (Brook) – 4:51 # "Mustt Mustt (Massive Attack Remix)" (Khan) – 4:24

References

Category:1990 albums Category:Michael Brook albums Category:Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan albums Category:Real World albums Category:World music albums

Coordinates	55°45′06″N37°37′04″N
name	Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
background	solo_singer
born	October 13, 1948Faisalabad, PunjabPakistan
died	August 16, 1997London, England
instrument	Vocals, harmonium
genre	Qawwali, Ghazal
occupation	Musician
years active	1965–1997
notable instruments	}}

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( (Shahmukhi)}}) (October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997) a world-renowned Pakistani musician, was primarily a singer of ''Qawwali'', the devotional music of the Sufis (a mystical tradition within Islam). Considered one of the greatest singers ever recorded, he possessed a six-octave vocal range and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is widely credited with introducing Sufi music to international audiences. He was popularly known as ''Shahenshah-e-Qawwali'', meaning ''The King of Kings of Qawwali''.

Born in Faisalabad, Nusrat had his first public performance at age of 16, at his father's chelum. He officially became the head of the family qawwali party in 1971, and was signed by Oriental Star Agencies (OSA), Birmingham, U.K., in the early 1980s. In subsequent years, Khan released movie scores and albums for various labels in Pakistan, Europe, Japan and the U.S. He engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists, becoming a well-known world music artist in the process. He toured extensively, performing in over 40 countries.

Biography

Early life and career

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was born on October 13, 1948 in the city of Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Pakistan. He was the fifth child and first son of Fateh Ali Khan, a musicologist, vocalist, instrumentalist, and Qawwal. Khan's family, which included four older sisters and a younger brother, Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, grew up in central Lyallpur. He began by learning to play tabla alongside his father before progressing to learn ''Raag Vidya'' and ''Bol Bandish''. He then went on to learn to sing within the classical framework of khayal. Khan's training with his father was cut short when his father died in 1964, leaving Khan's paternal uncles, Mubarak Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan, to complete his training. His first performance was at a traditional graveside ceremony for his father, known as chehlum, which took place forty days after his father's death.

In 1971, after the death of Mubarak Ali Khan, Nusrat became the official leader of the family Qawwali party and the party became known as ''Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party''. Khan's first public performance as the leader of the Qawwali party was at a studio recording broadcast as part of an annual music festival organised by Radio Pakistan, known as ''Jashn-e-Baharan''. Khan sang mainly in Urdu and Punjabi and occasionally in Persian, Brajbhasha and Hindi. His first major hit in Pakistan was the song ''Haq Ali Ali'', which was performed in a traditional style and with traditional instrumentation. The song featured restrained use of Nusrat's sargam improvisations.

In 1979, Khan married his first cousin, Naheed (the daughter of Fateh Ali Khan's brother, ''Salamat Ali Khan''); they had one daughter, Nida.

Early in his career, Khan was signed up by Oriental Star Agencies in the U.K. to their Star Cassette Label. OSA sponsored regular concert tours by Nusrat to the U.K. from the early '80s onwards, and released much of this live material on cassette, CD, videotape and DVD.

Later career

In the 1992-93 academic year, Nusrat was a Visiting Artist in the Ethnomusicology department at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Nusrat teamed with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to ''The Last Temptation of Christ'' in 1985, with Canadian musician Michael Brook on the albums ''Mustt Mustt'' (1990) and ''Night Song'' (1996), and with Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder in 1995 on two songs for the soundtrack to ''Dead Man Walking''. One of these songs ("The Long Road") was re-used on the soundtrack for Eat, Pray, Love in 2010. Nusrat also contributed to the soundtrack of ''Natural Born Killers''. He composed the music for the 1994 film ''Bandit Queen'' in collaboration with Roger White.

Peter Gabriel's Real World label later released five albums of Nusrat's traditional Qawwali, together with some of his experimental work which included the albums Mustt Mustt and Star Rise. Nusrat provided vocals for The Prayer Cycle, which was put together by Jonathan Elias, but died before the vocals could be completed. Alanis Morissette was brought in to sing with his unfinished vocals. Nusrat also collabrated with Michael Brook to create music for the song 'Sweet Pain' used in the movie ''Any Given Sunday''. He also performed traditional Qawwali before international audiences at several WOMAD world music festivals and the single Dam Mast Qalandar was remixed by electronic trip hop group Massive Attack in 1998.

His album ''Intoxicated Spirit'' was nominated for a Grammy award in 1997 for best traditional folk album.

Khan contributed songs to, and performed in, several Pakistani films. Shortly before his death, he recorded a song each for two Bollywood films, ''Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya'' (in which he also sang the song onscreen) and ''Kachche Dhaage''. He sang the title song of the film, ''Dhadkan''. He also sang ''Saya bhi saath jab chhod jaye'' for Sunny Deol's movie, ''Dillagi''. The song was released only in 1999, two years after Nusrat's death.

Khan contributed the song "Gurus of Peace" to the album ''Vande Mataram'', composed by A.R. Rahman, and released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India's independence. Rahman, who was a big fan of Khan could not do further songs with him. As a tribute, Rahman later released an album titled ''Gurus of Peace'', which featured "Allah Hoo" by Nusrat. Rahman's 2007 song "Tere Bina" was also done as a tribute to Nusrat.

After his death, the song "Solemn Prayer", on which Nusrat provided vocals, was used on the Peter Gabriel song "Signal to Noise" (on the album Up), and on the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film ''Gangs of New York.''

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan holds the world record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist—a total of 125 albums as of 2001.

Death

Khan was taken ill with kidney and liver failure on August 11, 1997 in London, England while on the way to Los Angeles in order to receive a kidney transplant. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital, London, on Saturday, August 16, 1997, aged 48. His body was returned to Faisalabad, Pakistan and his funeral was attended by the public.

Composition of Nusrat's qawwali party

The composition of Nusrat's ensemble — called a ''party'' (or Humnawa in Urdu) — changed over its 26 years. Listed below is a snapshot of the party, circa 1983:

#Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan: Nusrat's first cousin, vocals #Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan: Nusrat's brother, vocals and lead harmonium #Rehmat Ali: vocals and second harmonium #Maqsood Hussain: vocals #Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Nusrat's nephew & pupil, vocals #Dildar Hussain: percussion #Majawar Abbas: mandolin and guitar/chorus, handclapping #Mohammed Iqbal Naqvi: secretary of the party, chorus, handclapping #Asad Ali: chorus, handclapping. Nusrat's cousin #Ghulam Farid: chorus, handclapping #Kaukab Ali: chorus, handclapping

The one significant member of the party who does not appear on this list is Atta Fareed. For many years, he alternated with Rehmat Ali on vocals and second harmonium. He is easily identifiable in videos since he plays the harmonium left-handed.

This snapshot is non-representative in one respect: harmoniums were usually the only instruments. Only rarely were instruments like mandolin or guitar used.

Awards and Titles

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is widely considered to be the most important qawwal in history. In 1987, Khan received the President of Pakistan’s Award for Pride of Performance for his contribution to Pakistani music. In 1995 he received the UNESCO Music Prize. In 1996 he was awarded Grand Prix des Amériques at Montreal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the art of cinema. In 2005, Nusrat was awarded the "Legends" award at the UK Asian Music Awards. TIME magazine's issue of November 6, 2006, "60 Years of Asian Heroes", lists him as one of the top 12 Artists and Thinkers in the last 60 years. He also appeared on NPR's 50 Great Voices list in 2010. In August, 2010 he was included in CNN's list of the twenty most iconic musicians from the past fifty years.

Many honorary titles were bestowed upon Nusrat during his 25-year music career. He was given the title of Ustad after performing classical music at a function in Lahore on his father's death anniversary.

Tributes, legacy and influence

Alexandra A. Seno of ''Asiaweek'' wrote:

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's voice was otherworldly. For 25 years, his mystical songs transfixed millions. It was not long enough .... He performed qawali, which means wise or philosophical utterance, as nobody else of his generation did. His vocal range, talent for improvisation and sheer intensity were unsurpassed.

Jeff Buckley cited Nusrat as a major influence, saying of him "He's my Elvis", and performing the first few minutes of Nusrat's hit "Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai" (including vocals) at live concerts. Many other artists have also cited Nusrat as an influence, such as A.R. Rahman, Sheila Chandra, and Alim Qasimov.

Paul Williams picked a concert performance by Nusrat for inclusion in his 2000 book "The 20th Century's Greatest Hits: a 'top-40' list", in which he devotes a chapter each to what he considers the top 40 artistic achievements of the 20th century in any field (including art, movies, music, fiction, non-fiction, science-fiction).

In 2004, a tribute band called (Brooklyn Qawwali Party) (formerly Brook's Qawwali Party) was formed in New York City by percussionist Brook Martinez to perform the music of Nusrat. The 13-piece group still performs mostly instrumental jazz versions of Nusrat's qawwalis, using the instruments conventionally associated with jazz rather than those associated with qawwali.

Films

Documentaries

''Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: le dernier prophète'' (1996). Directed by Jérôme de Missolz.

''Nusrat has Left the Building... But When?'' (1997). Directed by Farjad Nabi. (This 20-minute docudrama focuses on Nusrat's early career.)

''A Voice from Heaven'' (1999). Directed by Giuseppe Asaro. New York, NY: Winstar TV & Video. (This 75-minute documentary, available on VHS and DVD, provides an excellent introduction to Nusrat's life and work.)

''Samandar Main Samandar'' (2007). A documentary aired on Geo TV detailing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's career.

''The King of Qawalli'' (2009). A short film aired on Dawn News about Nusrat's life and career.

Concert films

''The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance'' (1990). Video 14 (of 30) (South Asia IV). Produced by Ichikawa Katsumori; directed by Nakagawa Kunikiko and Ichihashi Yuji; in collaboration with the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka. [Tokyo]: JVC, Victor Company of Japan; Cambridge, Massachusetts: distributed by Rounder Records. Features a studio performance by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party (two Urdu-language songs: a Hamd, and a Manqabat for Khwaja Mu`inuddin Chishti. Filmed in Tokyo, Japan, September 20, 1987, for Asian Traditional Performing Arts).

''Nusrat! Live at Meany'' (1998). Produced by the University of Washington. (87-minute recording of a January 23, 1993 concert at Meany Hall, University of Washington in Seattle, during Nusrat's residency at the Ethnomusicology Program there.)

Live in Concert in the U.K. (DVD, vols. 1-17) [OSA]; recorded between 1983 and 1993; first thirteen listed below:

*Live in Concert in UK (DVD vol. 1)

*Live in Concert (DVD vol. 2)

*Live in Concert (DVD vol. 3)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 4)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 5)

*Live in Concert (DVD vol. 6)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 7)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 8)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 9)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 10)

*Live in UK (DVD vol. 11)

*Digbeth Birmingham 12 November 1983 (DVD vol. 12)

*Digbeth 30 October 1983 (DVD vol. 13)

Akhiyan Udeek Diyan (DVD) [Nupur Audio]

Je Tun Rab Nu Manauna (DVD) [Nupur Audio]

Yaadan Vicchre Sajan Diyan Aayiyan (DVD) [Nupur Audio]

Rang-e-Nusrat (DVD, vols. 1-11) [Music Today]; recorded between 1983 and 1993 (same material as the OSA DVDs)

VHS videotapes, vols. 1-21 [OSA]; recorded between 1983 and 1993 (same material as the OSA DVDs)

*Luxor Cinema Birmingham (VHS vol. 1, 1979)

*Digbeth Birmingham (VHS vol. 2, 1983)

*St. Francis Hall Birmingham (VHS vol. 3, 1983)

*Royal Oak Birmingham (VHS vol. 4, 1983)

*Private Mehfil (Wallace Lawley Centre, Lozells Birmingham, November 1983) (VHS vol. 5)

*Private Mehfil (VHS vol. 6, 1983)

*Natraj Cinema Leicester (VHS vol. 7, 1983)

*Live In Southall (VHS vol. 8)

*Live In Bradford (VHS vol. 9, 1983)

*Live In Birmingham (VHS vol. 10, 1985)

*Allah Ditta Hall (VHS vol. 11, 1985)

*Harrow Leisure Centre (VHS vol. 12)

*University Of Aston (VHS vol. 13, 1988)

*Aston University (VHS vol. 14, 1988)

*WOMAD Festival Bracknell (VHS vol. 15, 1988)

*Live In Paris (VHS vol. 16, 1988)

*Poplar Civic Centre London (VHS vol. 17)

*Imperial Hotel Birmingham (VHS vol. 18, 1985)

*Slough Gurdawara (SHABADS) (VHS vol. 19)

*Imran Khan Cancer Appeal (VHS vol. 20)

*Town Hall Birmingham (VHS vol. 21, 1993)

See also

List of Pakistani musicians

Music of Pakistan

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan albums

Qawwali

References

Additional reading

Baud, Pierre-Alain. ''Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Messenger of Qawwali''. Editions Demi-Lune, 2008. (A biography of Nusrat.)

External links

Article with brief 1993 interview (edwebproject.org)

KING OF QAWALI Documentary on You Tube's Dawn news Channel

NPR Audio Report: Nusrat Fate*h Ali Khan: The Voice Of Pakistan

Category:1948 births Category:1997 deaths Category:People from Faisalabad Category:Pakistani male singers Category:Pakistani Shi'a Muslims Category:Pakistani qawwali singers Category:Pakistani music educators Category:Performers of Sufi music Category:Singers with a six octave vocal range Category:Punjabi people Category:Sufi music Category:Qawwali Category:Real World artists Category:Nigar Award winners Category:Harmonium players

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Coordinates	55°45′06″N37°37′04″N
Name	Salmaan Taseer
Order	26th
Office	Governor of Punjab, Pakistan
Term start	15 May 2008
Term end	4 January 2011
Predecessor	Lt Gen Khalid Maqbool
Successor	Sardar Latif Khosa
Birth date	May 31, 1944
Birth place	Simla, Punjab, British India
Death date	January 04, 2011
Death place	Islamabad, Pakistan
Spouse	Aamna Taseer
Children	ShaanShehryarShahbazSaraSanamShehrbano Aatish Taseer
Alma mater	Chartered Accountant, from London
Ethnicity	Punjabi
Residence	Governor's House (Lahore) (official)
Party	Pakistan Peoples Party
Website	Personal Website }}

Salmaan Taseer (Urdu, }}; May 31, 1944 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.

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

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

Early life

Salmaan Taseer was born on May 31, 1944, in Simla, British India. His father, Muhammad Din Taseer, obtained his PhD in the United Kingdom and was a close friend of Allama Iqbal. His mother Bilqis "Christobel" Taseer, a Christian Englishwoman, was the sister of Alys Faiz, a writer and poet who herself is the wife of renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. His father died when he was six years old and he and his two sisters were brought up in relative poverty by their mother.

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. Salmaan Taseer also has 3 children from a previous marriage: Sara, Shaan and Sanam.

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." 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.

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

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

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

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. He was a part of the movement for Mr. Bhutto's freedom and opposed his arrest and death sentence. He also wrote a political biography on Bhutto titled ''Bhutto: A political biography'' (1980).

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

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

On May 15, 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. 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.

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. A majority stake in Worldcall was acquired in 2008 by Omantel, the Sultanate of Oman's incumbent operator.

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

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.

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

Controversy

Taseer advocated that the clause in the Constitution declaring the Ahmadi community to be non-Muslims should be revoked.

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.

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. Evidence provided by ICAO on the governor's travel abroad, led to a case being filed in court for breach of the constitution.

Death

On January 4, 2011, one of Taseer's bodyguards, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, shot him 26 times with a submachine gun at Kohsar Market, near his home 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. 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."

After his assassination, protests erupted in different parts of Punjab. Protesters also burned tyres and blocked traffic in Lahore.

The next day, many people turned up for governor Salman Taseer's funeral in Lahore in spite of denunciations by some clerics and religious scholars from mourning Taseer, 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. Taseer was buried at a military cantonment in Lahore.

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. Qadri reportedly said he killed Taseer due to the latter's vocal opposition to the blasphemy law in Pakistan.. Taseer was against the blasphemy law and termed it a black law. Notably, Taseer made headlines when he favored the Christian Pakistani woman, Asia Bibi, who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy. It was suspected that this was the main reason for his assassination. According to a report in ''Dawn'', the assailant was associated with Dawat-e-Islami, a religious organisation associated with the Barelvi movement. 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.

Reactions

;Domestic

The masses of Pakistan began showing love for Malik Mumtaz Qadri, sundry Facebook pages and Youtube videos erupted in Qadri's love soon after. However, there were also masses which condemned the kidnapping, notably on Twitter.

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. Many members of the country's business community also conveyed their shock after the killing.

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."

The Government of Punjab ordered all public institutions and schools to shut on January 5 in honour of Taseer. The Punjab Provincial Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning the assassination and praising Taseer's political and social services. The Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, an Islamic religious organisation representing the Barelvi movement, issued an advisory against mourning his death. They also declared Qadri a "hero of the Muslim world." 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. 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.

;International United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the assassination calling it a "loss for Pakistan."

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."

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."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan his Paakistani 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."

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."

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." 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."

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."

;Social-media A fan page appeared on Facebook soon after the assassination against Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, showing news photos of him smiling. The fan page soon gathered thousands of supporters. Many prominent Pakistani bloggers started a campaign to have these fan pages blocked on Facebook as soon as the pages appeared on the social networking website. Several people also denounced the perpetrator creating a page named "I Hate Malik Mumtaz Qadri," but in contrast the page only managed to get a few fans with no comments or discussions. Outrage against the gunman was prevalent on Twitter, with numerous journalists and media personalities expressing their sadness over the passing of Taseer and the growing Islamisation and moral collapse of the country.

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." It was suggested that the killing was indicative of a "deeper trend" of "religious intolerance" afflicting Pakistan.

The son of the late governor, Shahbaz Taseer, who was a witness in Mumtaz Qadri's trial, was kidnapped on August 26th, 2011 on his way to work in Lahore, Pakistan.

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.

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References

External links

Salmaan Taseer on Facebook

Salmaan Taseer at Find a Grave

Salmaan Taseer at Flickr

Salmaan Taseer at Twitter

Salmaan Taseer on YouTube

Category:1944 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Assassinated Pakistani politicians Category:Deaths by firearm in Pakistan Category:Governors of Punjab (Pakistan) Category:Murder in 2011 Category:Murdered businesspeople Category:Pakistani accountants Category:Pakistani businesspeople Category:Pakistani Muslims Category:Pakistan Peoples Party politicians Category:Pakistani people of English descent Category:Pakistani terrorism victims Category:Pakistani expatriates in the United Arab Emirates Category:People from Shimla Category:Punjabi people Salmaan Category:People murdered in Pakistan Category:Federal ministers of Pakistan

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