London: March 3, 2011. (PCP) According to media reports, the Minorities Minister was on his way to a cabinet meeting when gunmen broke into his vehicle and shot him. He was rushed to Shifa Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Although no group has come forward to claim responsibility, there are reports that pamphlets issued by al-Qaeda and the Taliban were found at the site of the attack. Mr Bhatti was an outspoken critic of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which make blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad a crime punishable by death. The blasphemy laws are misused by extremists to bring false charges against Christians to settle personal scores or acquire land or other property. Christians charged with blasphemy have been murdered by extremists, even in cases where they were set free by court judges. CLAAS will be contacting the Pakistani High Commissioner and the UK Foreign Office to express its grave concerns for minorities in Pakistan. CLAAS' UK Coordinator Nasir Saeed has made the following statement in response to Mr Bhatti's assassination: "I am shocked and stunned by the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti. This is the second high profile killing of someone who supported change to the blasphemy laws. His death is a terrible blow to Pakistan's Christian community and other religious minorities as he was a much valued advocate for Christians who worked tirelessly and courageously in pursuit of equality and freedom for all minorities, in spite of the clear risks to his own life. "Mr Bhatti was killed simply for speaking in support of amendments to the blasphemy laws and we are left with the question now: who will be next? "It is a very desperate situation for Pakistani Christians as Mr Bhatti was one of the few people in Parliament who dared to speak up for their rights. With his death, Christians now have no voice in government. Whoever speaks up for their rights and for any amendments to the blasphemy laws is either being threatened with their lives like Sherry Rehman, or killed like the Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer and now Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti. "At this point in time, it is not clear what avenues are left open to us. The EU, the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the UN, have all raised their concerns and yet the government in Pakistan continues to do nothing. It has bowed down to the will of religious groups and so long as that is the case, more innocent people are going to die. "One thing that is for certain is that the blasphemy laws are the root cause of persecution against Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan right now. We have been demanding a complete repeal of the laws, but failing that, then at least appropriate amendments to stop the ongoing persecution of Christians. "Religious extremism and intolerance towards religious minorities has reached unprecedented levels in Pakistan. The murderers of Christians are being praised, while Christians are living under constant fear for their lives. We don't know what the future holds for us. "I appeal to the church in the UK to please pray for Christians in Pakistan, pray that they may have strength and hope, and pray for the government, that it will change the laws so that all Pakistanis can live together as equals and Christians no longer have to fear that their lives will be taken away from them for a crime they never committed