'''Salmaan Taseer’s death anniversary'''

Daily Times

The civil society will mark the second death anniversary of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer today (Friday).

A candlelight vigil will be held at the Charing Cross to pay tribute to Salmaan Taseer for scarifying his life for peace, protection of rights of the minorities and democracy. Taseer was a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the 26th governor of the province of Punjab from 2008 until his assassination on January 4, 2011. A member of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he had also served as a minister in the caretaker cabinet of prime minister Muhammad Mian Soomro under Pervez Musharraf. On the occasion of his death anniversary, Civil Society Network President Abdullah Malik said, “It’s our moral duty to remember those heroes of society who contribute in society for making Pakistan democratic, peaceful and prosperous and worth living”. Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday said that Salmaan Taseer had laid down his life while struggling for the survival of Pakistan and improving its image. In an exclusive interview with Radio Pakistan on the eve of Salmaan Taseer’s second death anniversary, Kaira said that unfortunately a leader serving the country was gunned down by negative forces. All the segments of society, including political parties and media, will have to join hands to defeat this mindset, he added. The information minister pointed out that Salmaan Taseer was not the only one who had become victim of this mindset, but thousands of innocent people have been targeted. Kaira said that the menace of terrorism was not the concern of just one party or organisation, but all had to fight it unitedly. He said no one had the right to impose his will on others. Pakistan is a democratic country and the only way is to go to the people who have the power to elect their leaders for taking decisions about their future, he added. The minister said that the way Salmaan Taseer fought against the negative mindset was a beacon of light for the nation.