The bodyguard who murdered liberal Pakistani governor Salman Taseer said today he was inspired by sermons from two Islamic clerics.

LAWYERS showered the suspected killer of a prominent Pakistani governor with rose petals when he arrived at court yesterday and an influential Muslim scholars group praised the assassination of the outspoken opponent of laws that order death for those who insult Islam.

Thousands gathered under tight security in Pakistan today for the funeral of a provincial governor allegedly shot dead by a bodyguard.

THE governor of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most populous province was shot dead in the capital yesterday by one of his own guards, who later told interrogators that he was angry about the politician’s stance against the country’s blasphemy law, officials said.