ISLAMABAD, 21 February 2007 — A suspected militant yesterday shot dead Punjab’s minister for social welfare while she was about to address a meeting in Gujranwala.
Fayyaz Chattha, the district administrator of Gujranwala, told Arab News a serial killer shot the minister, Zille Huma Usman, wounding her seriously. She succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
Officials said the attacker killed her because she was not wearing proper Muslim dress. Huma, 35, was known as a women’s rights activist and had previously promoted a mini-marathon involving women runners that sparked riots in 2005.
“She was shot dead while at a meeting with party workers,” provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat told AFP.
Police said the attacker identified as Mohammad Sarwar in his 40s, wearing a cloak, approached Huma as party activists threw rose petals at her then took out his pistol and shot her in the temple in cold blood. “He killed her because she was not observing the Islamic code of dress. She was also campaigning for emancipation of women,” local police officer Nazir Ahmad said. “The suspect is an extremist and he has a history of targeting woman whom he believed to be immoral.” Huma died in hospital while her killer, a stonemason, was arrested.
The man was arrested by police in 2002 for killing two women who were prostitutes but he was acquitted due to lack of evidence, Ahmad said.
“He did not represent any militant organization but he was a fanatic on his own.”
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz paid tribute to Huma, describing her as a committed and dedicated politician. “During her short span as minister, she took several steps for the welfare of the people of Punjab,” he said. Officials said Huma had joined the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League party after being elected in 2002 and backed Musharraf’s policy of “enlightened moderation” designed to tackle extremism.
Riots erupted when police stopped armed activists from disrupting the race.
She worked as parliamentary secretary for planning and development from August 2003 to November 2006 and had been appointed to her current post on Dec. 1, 2006.
Another Minister Escapes Bid on Life
Gunmen attacked the convoy of a minister in Balochistan yesterday but he escaped unhurt. Minister for States and Frontier Regions Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind came under attack when he was traveling with a police escort near his village in Lando area, 150 km east of the capital, Quetta.
“The attackers fired at the convoy with automatic weapons. Three cars were damaged but no one was hurt,” said the mayor of the area, Sardar Khan Rind. He said it was too early to say who was behind the attack. Suspicion is bound to fall on Baloch nationalist rebels, fighting for more autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region’s natural resources. They frequently attack gas pipelines and government and military targets in their campaign.
Earlier yesterday, suspected rebels blew up a gas pipeline on the outskirts of Quetta, cutting supplies to four districts near the city and a 95 MW city power plant. Supplies might be restored to some areas within 24 hours, officials said.
Militants Behead Afghan Refugee
Suspected pro-Taleban militants in a region on the Afghan border killed an Afghan refugee they accused of being a US spy, a district government official said yesterday.
The beheaded body of the refugee was dumped by a road on Monday in Saidgey village in the North Waziristan region, a hotbed of support for militancy. A note found near the body read: “Whoever spies for America will meet the same fate,” said the district official, who declined to be identified as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
