Islamabad bishop responds to assassination of Pakistani minister

Islamic militants shot and killed Pakistan’s Christian minister for minority affairs on Wednesday.

The murder of Shahbaz Bhatti is only the latest attack on a high-profile figure who had urged reform of the country’s blasphemy laws, which make insulting Islam a capital crime.

The sole Christian member of the federal Cabinet, Bhatti was on his way to work in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, when gunmen opened fire on his car, riddling it with bullets and fatally wounding the minister, who was pronounced dead on arrival at Shifa Hospital in the capital.

The bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Rufin Anthony told us Shabbaz Bhatti leaves a legacy of fearless dedication to justice and rule of law. “He was very brave,” said Bishop Anthony, “he spoke the truth,” and, “[Bhatti] was conscious that, since he spoke the truth…[something] might happen at any time to him, also.”

Pamphlets from the Pakistani Taliban warning of the same fate for anyone opposing the blasphemy laws were present at the scene of the killing.

Listen to Chris Altieri’s report: