Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan has said the late Punjab Governor Salman Taseer preferred to do and die for the cause that was dear to him namely secular democracy, empowerment of the poor, women and less privileged.
In a write-up paying tributes to the slain PPP leader, he termed the ghastly assassination as a great loss for the Pakistani nation, Pakistan People's Party, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the government.
"Taseer was brave, courageous and daring great man who spoke for the rights of the people including minorities. He was totally committed to the high democratic ideals and the egalitarian vision of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and martyred Benazir Bhutto."
He further wrote that Taseer was held in highest esteem by the people who respected his boldness to proclaim loud and clear that he believed in liberal and secular politics. He was targeted for elimination for having defended the rights of minorities against the black and discriminatory laws introduced by dictator General Zia-ul-Haq to terrorise the people into submission to his totalitarian rule.
"I have had the distinction of knowing him closely for 30 years as an unflinching fighter for democracy and defender of the rights of the people. He not only braved worst persecution and prosecution at the hands of anti-democratic forces in power. He was tortured and given third degree treatment for his commitment to democracy. His tragic demise a sacrifice in blood-at this critical juncture when Pakistan is carrying on a battle to do or die to defend Islam's pristine values of compassion and tolerance, to save the county from falling a victim to extremism as carved for him a permanent niche in the hall of fame of those great leaders who preferred death to surrendering to the obscurantism. As such he has become immortal.