Roses for Pakistan governor's alleged killer

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. Gov. 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 favor 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 sympathizers chanted slogans in his favor 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-N, which is more aligned with religious groups, had limited presence at the event.

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 U.S.-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.

"I do not think this is an individual act. It is a well planned murder," he told The Associated Press by phone.

A senior police official said Qadri told investigators he had looked for a chance to kill the governor since joining his security squad on Tuesday morning, but did not get the opportunity at the presidential or senate buildings. His chance came when the squad was called to escort Taseer from a restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, the official said.

After the attack, Qadri threw his weapon down and put up his hands up when one of his colleagues aimed at him, pleading to be arrested alive, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case.

Taseer was blunt and public in his liberal views even when compared to others in the People's Party, a largely secular-minded political party.

In recent weeks, he had spoken forcefully in favor of clemency for a Christian woman sentenced to die for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad under Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws. Although courts typically overturn convictions and no executions have been carried out, rights activists say the laws are used to settle rivalries and persecute religious minorities.

Taseer's support of the condemned woman made him the target of protests and death threats in a country where Islamist groups can quickly bring thousands to the streets and call strikes that cripple businesses.

As a sign of the growing influence of Islamists, the People's Party promised days ago not to touch the blasphemy laws. The announcement came as the party struggled to hold on to key members of its ruling coalition, one of which is an Islamist party.

The ruling party is now seeking support from various opposition groups following the defections of two allied parties that have left it without a majority in parliament.