Leaders of faith groups across Bradford have condemned the assassination of Pakistani politician Salman Taseer.

The governor of Punjab, who was outspoken in his defence of minorities and secularism, was allegedly shot dead by one of his own bodyguards on Tuesday.

Reports from Pakistan suggest his alleged killer told police he was angry over Mr Taseer’s opposition to laws imposing the death penalty for blasphemy.

Jim Dutt, chairman of Bradford’s Asian Christian Welfare Association, said: “We are very sorry about the governor of Punjab. He was a good man. It (the assassination) says, anybody, if a President, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Government official, were to declare blasphemy laws should be repealed, they could be assassinated.”

Ishtiaq Ahmed, of Bradford Council for Mosques, said: “It is very worrying that individuals in a country like Pakistan are taking the law into their hands.”

For more on this story see Thursday's T&A