Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS) India-Pakistan friendship activists here Saturday strongly condemned the assassination of Salman Taseer, governor of Pakistan's Punjab Province.

In a statement, Peace Mumbai said: "Taseer was shot dead by his security guard for taking a principled position on the controversial Blasphemy Law."

Peace Mumbai activists - Jatin Desai, Asad Bin Saif and Sukla Sen - said Taseer was in favour of amendment to the Blasphemy Law in that country.

Recently, a court in Sheikhpura near Lahore sentenced a Christian woman Aasia Bibi to death for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammad. The sentence is yet to be confirmed by the high court and Supreme Court.

"Taseer wanted to secure pardon for Aasia Bibi from the death penalty. This was the first time in the history of Pakistan that a woman was sentenced to capital punishment under the Blasphemy Law," Peace Mumbai said.

The activists pointed out that the Blasphemy Law is wielded primarily against minorities and is often used to settle personal scores. Many a time, local people take the law into their own hands and lynch individuals accused of blasphemous acts.

"It is a matter of concern that people are coming out in open support of Taseer's killer on various social networking websites and expressing joy at this ghastly murder. Rising religious extremism has to be curbed and the Pakistan government must act strongly against forces promoting hatred and violence," Peace Mumbai urged.

The organization also demanded that the Pakistan government take stern action against the people who had issued death threats to Taseer, politician-journalist Sherry Rehman and many others.

"The government must strive to ensure the safety of Sherry Rehman for taking a courageous stand and introducing an amendment to this Law in the National Assembly," Peace Mumbai added.