Shahbaz Bhatti

Clement Shahbaz Bhatti (9 September 1968 – 2 March 2011) was a Pakistani politician and the first Christian Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs.

Bhatti founded the Christian Liberation Front in 1985, while studying public administration at the University of the Punjab in Lahore.

On 10 December 1995, Human Rights Day, Bhatti married Salma Peter John, a human rights activist.

However, after Bhatti’s death, his family has denied that this wedding ever took place and insists that Salma was only Bhatti's employee.

He founded the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) in 2002 and was unanimously elected as its chairman.

He met with President Pervez Musharraf as part of a group of minority rights advocates.

Bhatti joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 2002, but remained outside politics until becoming a minister in 2008.

He was placed on the government's Exit Control List in 2003, but was removed in November of that year.

He was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2008 for the Pakistan People's Party.

Bhatti became the only Christian member of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's Cabinet on November 2.

Bhatti was appointed as Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs on 2 November 2008, when, for the first time, the post was elevated to cabinet level and an independent ministry created.

At the time, he said that he accepted the post for the sake of the "oppressed, down-trodden and marginalized" of Pakistan, and that he had dedicated his life to the "struggle for human equality, social justice, religious freedom, and to uplift and empower religious minorities' communities."

He added that he wanted to send "a message of hope to the people living a life of disappointment, disillusionment and despair", and also stated his commitment to reforming the country's blasphemy laws.

During his time as federal minister, he took numerous steps in support of religious minorities.

These included the launch of a national campaign to promote interfaith harmony, the proposal of legislation to ban hate speech and related literature, the proposed introduction of comparative religion as a curriculum subject, the introduction of quotas for religious minorities in government posts, and the reservation of four Senate seats for minorities.

Bhatti had been the recipient of death threats since 2009, when he spoke in support of Pakistani Christians attacked in the 2009 Gojra riots in Punjab Province.

Bhatti also spearheaded the organisation of a National Interfaith Consultation in July 2010, which brought together senior religious leaders of all faiths from across Pakistan and resulted in a joint declaration against terrorism.

These threats increased following his support for Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian sentenced to death in 2010 for blasphemy.

The United States had tried to obtain increased security for him and get him an armoured car but was unsuccessful.

Bhatti himself foretold his death and recorded a video, which was to be released in case of his death, where he said "I believe in Jesus Christ who has given his own life for us, and I am ready to die for a cause. I'm living for my community ... and I will die to defend their rights."

According to the BBC, Bhatti was travelling to work through a residential district, having just left his mother's home, when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets.

At the time of the attack he was alone, without any security.

His driver reports having stopped the car and ducked when he saw armed men approaching rather than attempting to evade the threat.

Bhatti was taken to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Pakistani Taliban told the BBC that they carried out the attack because Bhatti was a "known blasphemer."

Paul Bhatti, Bhatti's brother, became Minister of National Harmony and Minority Affairs as well as Chairman of the APMA following the assassination.

A Christian who had criticised Pakistan's blasphemy laws, his death follows that of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was also killed amid the controversy over the blasphemy law.

On the day following Bhatti's assassination, hundreds of Christian demonstrators reportedly took to the streets across Punjab, with protesters burning tires and demanding justice.

According to Minorities Concern of Pakistan, "Investigators are divided over the assassination case with some in the Islamabad police pointing the fingers at the Taliban and al-Qaeda".

A pamphlet found at his crime scene mentioned the Punjabi Taliban.

On 2 March 2011, Bhatti was assassinated outside his mother's home by members of the Pakistani Taliban for his opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Later in 2011, an attempt was also made to shift the blame to "internal squabbles" among Christians.

According to the same group, the identity of Bhatti's murderer was still unknown.

In the months that followed, minority groups in Pakistan demanded the formation of a commission to probe the Bhatti case.

Leaders of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Spain, UK, USA, and the Vatican expressed their shock and condemnation of his killing.

In March 2013, she sought asylum in the United States following repeated intimidation and death threats from Bhatti's family.

In March 2016, his cause for beatification was formally opened by the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi.

He was given the honorary title Servant of God within the Catholic Church.

Bhatti was born in Lahore to Christian parents from the Faisalabad District.

His father, Jacob Bhatti, worked as an officer of the British Army, then as a teacher, before becoming chairman of the board of churches in Khushpur.