iPlayer Radio What's New?
Speaker icon LISTEN
Show more Show less
ON NOW : BBC News
19/06/2013

BBC News The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.

ON NEXT : 20:06 Hardtalk
Image for Episode 1

Play now 28 mins

Episode 1

Duration:
28 minutes
First broadcast:
Saturday 07 July 2012

In 2011 Salman Taseer was shot dead by his own bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri, who is now a national hero, revered by hard-line Muslims.

Taseer, who was Governor of the state of Punjab, was a critic of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which many Pakistanis feel are being abused by the Muslim majority to persecute Christians and other minorities.

Mobeen Azhar meets Salman Taseer's daughter Sanam, to hear about his death and how he knew that by speaking out against the laws, his own life would be in danger.

He travels to Rawalpindi, to Mumtaz Qadri's house, which is now a shrine to him and he will hear from one prominent critic of the laws, who feel the plight of minorities is linked to the future of the country as a whole.

Mobeen Azhar hears how the country's founder Mohammed Jinnah, envisaged a Pakistan where minorities were part of the country - symbolised by the white stripe of the country's flag - but he will question whether that vision is being respected over 60 years since Pakistan was born.

(Image: Pakistan flag. Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

  • Mobeen Azhar talking to Imran Khan

    Mobeen Azhar talking to Imran Khan

Broadcasts

Free download

  1. Image for Heart and Soul: Faith Perspectives

    Heart and Soul: Faith Perspectives

    Explore the role of faith, spirituality and religious practice in the lives of people around the...

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.