Tasser, 66, who was gunned down at a posh market in the heart of Islamabad yesterday, was buried at the Cavalry Ground graveyard in Lahore.
Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was assassinated by his extremist bodyguard for opposing the controversial blasphemy law, was laid to rest with full state honours in this eastern Pakistani city today amid tight security.
Tasser, 66, who was gunned down at a posh market in the heart of Islamabad yesterday, was buried at the Cavalry Ground graveyard in Lahore.
The funeral prayer at the governor's house, scheduled for 1pm local time, was delayed by almost an hour as several clerics reportedly refused to lead it following a call by an influential Islamic body.
Afzal Chishti, a leader of the ulema (clerics) wing of the ruling PPP led the 'namaz-e-janaza' or funeral prayer.
The imam of Lahore's Shahi Masjid and the cleric of the mosque at governor's house refused to lead the prayer, sources said.
The Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan, a grouping of scholars, had yesterday asked clerics not to lead Taseer's funeral prayer.
Leaders of the main opposition PML-N and religious parties were conspicuous by their absence at the funeral.
Media reports said the PPP had advised leaders of PML-N, which is governing the Punjab province, not to attend the funeral as many PPP workers were upset by Taseer's assassination.
Thousands of angry PPP workers, who gathered at the governor's house, shouted slogans against religious parties and the PML-N.
Among the slogans were "Qatil Qatil, Nawaz Qatil, Shahbaz Qatil, Sanaullah Qatil" ?" a reference to senior PML-N leaders Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah ?" and "Taliban ka jo yaar hai, gaddar hai" (A friend of the Taliban is a traitor).
The funeral prayer was attended by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers including defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and foreign minister Shah Mahood Qureshi, leaders of other political parties and PPP workers.
President Asif Ali Zardari did not attend the funeral due to security reasons, PPP leaders said.
Many PPP workers, especially women, broke down and wept.
The workers tried to break the prime minister's security cordon to register their anger.
Following the funeral prayer, two army helicopters flew the governor's body and several of his family members to the Cavalry Ground graveyard.
His body was laid to rest with full state honours after being presented a salute by a Punjab Police contingent.
The burial was attended by Taseer's close relatives and friends.
Taseer's son Shehryar was consoled by friends as he broke down and wept as the black coffin was lowered into the grave.
Tight security arrangements were put in place across Lahore for the funeral following sporadic protests by PPP supporters in parts of Punjab province yesterday.
About 4,000 security personnel were deployed around the governor's house and authorities used helicopters to conduct surveillance over the city.
As Taseer was gunned down by one of his guards from Punjab Police's Elite Force, all security arrangements were handed over to the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers, officials said.
"Security is on high alert in Lahore and across Punjab," Lahore commissioner Khusro Pervez told reporters.
The Pakistan government has announced a three-day period of mourning and scaled down events to mark PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's birth anniversary.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}