Death sentence upheld for 'blasphemy' killing

Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the death sentence given to the killer of a politician who sought reform of the country's blasphemy law. The verdict was hailed by moderates as a blow against religious extremism.

Mumtaz Qadri, a former police bodyguard, was hailed as a hero by Islamist supporters after he gunned down the liberal governor of Punjab province, Salmaan Taseer, in 2011.

Qadri shot Taseer 28 times in an upscale market in the capital Islamabad.