Rebecca Duffett reports

Shahbaz Bhatti

Shahbaz Bhatti, the Minister for Minorities Affairs in Pakistan, was assassinated earlier this month. He was the only Christian Minster in Pakistan's cabinet and an outspoken critic of the country's blasphemy laws. He was on his way to a cabinet meeting in the capital city Islamabad when it's been reported that up to four gunmen attacked his car outside his mother's home.

According to Annabel Benson, the South Asia advocacy officer for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 'the problem with the blasphemy laws started since the 80's when two provisions were brought in to criminalise insults against the prophet Mohammed and any kind of defilement of the Koran. Since then the laws have increasingly been misused by many different people, not only against religious minorities but also just in the context of personal vendettas or business rivalries. Shahbaz was a life long opponent of these laws and he dedicated his life to religious freedom and pursuing the cause of justice in Pakistan'.

During his life Shahbaz said himself this was never going to be an easy option.

'I started this struggle when I was a schoolboy and during that martial regime I faced a lot of hardship, many difficulties along with other minorities of Pakistan about religious freedom. I faced assassination attempts. I faced imprisonment; I faced victimisation and more than twenty years I spend in this struggle to secure religious freedom and rights of minority in Pakistan. I'm here in this position not on the blessing of anyone but as the result of prayers of many people and this position cannot change my determination to pursue justice. Because I live for this religious freedom and I'm ready to die for this task.'

Annabel understands how important his work in government was. 'It was extremely significant that the position of minorities' minister was created at all. This was at the end of 2008 when he was appointed. Prior to that there had never been a cabinet level representative for religious minorities in Pakistan. So that was significant in itself, in the context of the blasphemy laws. Mr Bhatti spent most of last year and even earlier than that, in behind the scenes negotiation with other politicians in the Pakistani government, trying to lay the ground, for the kind of changes that were going to be proposed. He always had his sights on revision, or ultimately, repeal of these laws.'

No matter how tough it got, Shahbaz was not going to back down from where he stood, as he inspiringly declared, 'In the end you can hear I could be killed. You can hear that I am in prison. You can hear that I fear torture but you can never hear said that I drifted from my commitment.'

Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the murder and vowed that such acts will not stop the government from wiping out extremism and terrorism. Friend of Mr Bhatti, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, has described the attack as yet another instance of the Talibanisation of Pakistan. Chief Executive of CSW Mervyn Thomas said that those responsible must be brought to justice without delay and thinks that questions need to be asked about the government's willingness to protect those who speak out against extremism in the country.

In looking to the future, Annabel from Christian Solidarity Worldwide still 'hopes that there is some room for amendments and even repeal of these laws, but right now what needs to be done is to open up space for dialog; because at the moment as we've seen, any kind of opposition to the laws is being crushed in the most violent way and that's no way to move forward at all. We have to recognise that any single Pakistani could be victim of these laws. It's not just an issue that affects minorities.'

The final word should probably go to Mr Bhatti himself who at just 42 may have paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.

'I can die by accident. I can die by disease, I can die by any other thing, but if I will die for Jesus, how fortunate I could be. The principle I have taken that I ask Jesus only one favour, I don't die by disease or accident. I want to lay down my life for him.'