Police and members of the media stand near the bullet-riddled car of slain Shahbaz Bhatti outside the emergency ward of a hospital in Islamabad.—Reuters

LONDON: The BBC says it has received a video recording of murdered minister Shabhaz Bhatti in which the politician said he had been threatened by religious extremists but was not afraid to die.

In the message, Bhatti says he has received threats from the Taliban and al-Qaida, but will not stop ''speaking for the oppressed and marginalized persecuted Christians and other minorities.''

He added that he was ready ''to die for a cause.'' Bhatti, the only Christian in Pakistan's Cabinet, was shot dead Wednesday in Islamabad.

The BBC said Bhatti had made the recording about four months ago and left instructions it should be sent to broadcasters if he was killed.

Last month, in an interview with the Christian Post, Bhatti said he had received threats.

“I received a call from the Taliban commander and he said, 'If you will bring any changes in the blasphemy law and speak on this issue, then you will be killed,'” Bhatti told the newspaper.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...