The night before he was killed, Shahbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani Minister for minorities telephoned the BBC’s Orla Guerin. This is what he said:
"They say there's a terrorist plot to assassinate me. They've told me to be careful, but didn't tell me anything else. I haven't been given any extra security. It's just the same as it has been since I became a minister." Though his voice sounded weary, the minister's commitment was unwavering. "I have struggled for a long time for justice and equality," he said. "If I change my stance today, who will speak out? I am mindful that I can be assassinated any time, but I want to live in history as a courageous man." Orla Guerin believes that Shahbaz Bhatti knew his days were numbered. “After we ended our conversation”, she said, “I could not escape the feeling that the minister had called to say goodbye”.
