The governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province has been assassinated by his own security guard during a trip to Islamabad’s Kohsar Market. The killing was reportedly motivated by the governor’s comments against Pakistan’s blasphemy law.

Governor Taseer, who was shot multiple times before dying of blood loss, has been defending a Christian woman who was sentenced to death for blasphemy. He called on the nation’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, to pardon the “poor woman”.

The English-educated Taseer was also a successful businessman and opponent of the former brutal military regime in Pakistan. He was arrested more than a dozen times in retaliation for his pro-democratic activism.

My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Governor Taseer. He seems to have been a good man who knew how to stand up for what was right. The world, and especially Pakistan, could use more men like him.