Remembering Shahbaz Bhatti

This was another sad week for Pakistan.  On Wednesday morning, I was telling journalists about a doubling of the UK’s aid to Pakistan, when I was horrified to hear that Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti had been shot and killed in broad daylight in Islamabad.   
 
As I said that day, his death is a loss to Pakistan and a deep wound inflicted on Pakistani society.  On behalf of the British Government and my own family, I have sent my sincere condolences to Mr Bhatti’s grieving family and friends.  Prime Minister David Cameron, Foreign Secretary William Hague, Minister of State Alistair Burt and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi have also sent messages.
 
Baroness Warsi and I met Minister Bhatti just a week ago during her recent visit to Pakistan.  As ever, it was clear to us how fearless a voice Minister Bhatti was against extremism and intolerance, and how steadfastly he championed the rights of minority groups.
 
The murder of Shahbaz Bhatti, and of Salman Taseer and others before him, poses questions about what kind of society Pakistan wants to become.   It was not just an attack on a dedicated, democratically elected Government Minister.  Nor was it just an attack on the representative of minority communities. 

It was an attack on Pakistan as a state and on Pakistan’s democracy.  An attack on all Pakistanis who believe in tolerance, respect and a future free from the scourge of violent extremism.  It was an attack on a people who have already suffered greatly; whose shrines have been attacked, whose girls schools have been destroyed, whose livelihoods and futures are being damaged and who have now lost another high profile voice for peace, tolerance and freedom of expression.
 
All moderate people of all faiths should unite and condemn this act, and work together to end the violent extremism which abuses all Pakistanis.  The stakes have been raised again.  I hope and believe we are now seeing the emergence of an increasingly strong collective response from Pakistan’s society and political leadership to challenge the extremists.  The Cabinet is to review the country’s national security strategy, the Prime Minister has spoken in support of the country’s minorities, the President has said Shahbaz Bhatti’s family will be given the chance to contest his parliamentary seat, protest rallies have been held, most political parties have spoken out.
 
This is another kind of long march for Pakistan.  I wish it well.