US Congress for revoking visas of supporters of Taseer assassin

Washington, 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)