Washington: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani to offer her personal condolences on the assassination of the Salman Taseer, Governor of the Punjab province.
"We strongly condemn the assassination in Pakistan of Punjab Provincial Governor Salmaan Taseer," Clinton said in a statement after the meeting which also discussed forthcoming US visit of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari this year.
Taseer, one of Pakistan's most outspoken politicians and a close aide of President Zardari, was shot dead by his bodyguard yesterday in Islamabad.
"I had the opportunity to meet Governor Taseer in Pakistan and I admired his work to promote tolerance and the education of Pakistan's future generations," Clinton said.
"His death is a great loss. Our deepest sympathies are with Governor Taseer's wife and children," she said.
"The United States remains committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan as they persevere in their campaign to bring peace and stability to their country," she said.
"From our standpoint, his death is a great loss. He was committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan persevere in their campaign to bring peace and stability to their country," State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at his daily news conference.
"The razor-tongued governor of Pakistan's most populous province was known for speaking out on behalf of women and religious minorities, and his slaying stunned the nation and alarmed US officials," The Washington Post reported.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, January 05, 2011, 11:54