A Pakistani court has convicted and sentenced a police officer to death for the killing of a liberal governor earlier this year.

Mumtaz Qadri had confessed to killing Punjab Province Governor Salman Taseer because of the governor's opposition to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law. Qadir was a member of the governor's security team.

Taseer, a staunchly secular and progressive politician, was an outspoken opponent of religious extremism. He publicly led a charge to reform a blasphemy law that set harsh penalties for offenders. Taseer had called for the release of a Christian woman condemned to death for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.