US Congress for revoking visas of supporters of Taseer assassin
January 16th, 2011 - 2:39 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 16(ANI): The United States Congress has requested the US government to revoke the visa of anyone supporting Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of late Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer.
In its letter addressed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Congress termed Taseer’s assassination an “unspeakable tragedy” and a “heinous crime”, stating that he was a strong advocate of religious tolerance, pluralism and democracy in Pakistan.
The Governor was cut down by the bullets of an assassin, who opposed changes to statutes against religious minorities, the letter added.
“This tragedy has been compounded by the public reaction of significant elements of Pakistan’s clerical, journalistic and law community, who have praised the murderer and threatened the lives of other officials, who refuse to comply with the terrorisation of Christians, Ahmadis and women,” the Daily Times quoted the signatories of the document, as saying.
Congressmen Steve Israel, Gary Ackerman, Peter King and Michael McCaul said they were aware that the people, who were praising Taseer’s murder, were frequent travellers to the US and held American visas.
“We urge you to identify such Pakistanis and not issue them visas and applications for new visas from them should also be denied,” they requested the US government.
“Further problems are plaguing the democracy in Pakistan,” they said, pointing out that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Sherry Rehman was also receiving threats for introducing a bill in Pakistan’s National Assembly, proposing amendments to the controversial blasphemy law.
Earlier this month, Taseer was assassinated by his own bodyguard Qadri because of his vocal opposition to the controversial law that was recently used to sentence a Pakistani-Christian woman, Asia Bibi, to death. (ANI)
- US mulling visa ban on supporters of Pak Punjab Governor Taseer's assassin - Jan 20, 2011
- Minorities committee asks Pak Govt. to pursue Taseer murder case 'properly' - Feb 20, 2011
- 'Courageous' Salmaan Taseer's sacrifice will not go waste: Zardari - Jan 07, 2011
- Taseer's assassin should be punished only for violating law, not murder: Qari Hanif - Feb 15, 2011
- Pak Court dismisses plea seeking quashing of FIR, ATC trial against Taseer's assassin - Jan 21, 2011
- PPP will honour Salmaan Taseer's memory by continuing his mission: Bilawal Bhutto - Jan 07, 2011
- Salman Taseer's assassinator finds "fans" on Facebook - Jan 06, 2011
- US focussing on "possible discriminatory applications" of Pak's blasphemy law: Posner - Jan 19, 2011
- Judge who sentenced governor's killer flees Pakistan - Oct 25, 2011
- Pak Punjab Governor's assassin says he acted alone - Jan 11, 2011
- Bhatti calls Taseer's assassination an act to 'sabotage peace and interfaith harmony' - Jan 10, 2011
- Pak ATC shocked over 'absence of prosecution lawyer' in Taseer murder case - Jan 25, 2011
- No room for secularism in Pakistan as Islam is its sole identity: Jama'at-e-Islami - Jan 08, 2011
- 'Pakistan needs courage from all its leaders following Taseer's killing' - Jan 06, 2011
- Frontiers of expression have shrunk in 'democratic' Pakistan: Shehrbano Taseer - Mar 14, 2011
Tags: ahmadis, blasphemy law, christian woman, controversial law, democracy in pakistan, frequent travellers, gary ackerman, heinous crime, hillary clinton, michael mccaul, mumtaz, peter king, pluralism and democracy, religious minorities, religious tolerance, sherry rehman, steve israel, united states congress, us congress, vocal opposition