Pakistani govt. condemns bounty on anti-Islam film

The Pakistani Prime Minister spokesman has condemned a minister’s $100,000 reward for the killing of the maker of an anti-Islam video. Shafqat Jalil told the BBC News that the government “absolutely disassociated” itself from comments by Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour. The film, produced in the US, has led to a wave of protests in the Muslim world and many deaths. The bounty offer came a day after at least 20 died in clashes in Pakistan. Friday’s violence, which saw protesters pitted against armed police, occurred in cities throughout Pakistan, with Karachi and Peshawar among the worst hit. “I will pay whoever kills the makers of this video $100,000,” the Pakistani Railways minister said. “If someone else makes other similar blasphemous material in the future, I will also pay his killers $100,000. At one point, he even called for the help of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in killing the filmmaker. His ANP party, which is part of the governing coalition, told the BBC this was a personal statement, not party policy, but added that it would not be taking any action against him. Jalil said: “He is not a member of the (ruling) PPP (Pakistan People’s Party), he is an ANP politician and therefore the prime minister will speak to the head of the ANP to decide the next step. They are not ruling out action against him but say he will stay in his post for now.”