The governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, Salman Taseer, has died after being shot in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

Mr Taseer, a senior member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was shot in a popular shopping district of the city by a member of his own security detail.

He was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

His alleged assassin has been arrested.

Mr Taseer had recently spoken out against the country's blasphemy law, prompting protests by Islamists.

Mr Taseer was one of Pakistan's most important political figures and his death will further add to instability in the country.

The PPP-led government is facing a crisis that erupted after a coalition partner quit.

The assassination of Salman Taseer once again highlights Pakistan's unending troubles. He was a high-profile leader of the PPP, and was governor of the country's largest province, Punjab. His death has left the country in shock at a time when it faces an imminent political crisis.

On the face of it, the assassination appears to be an individual act of a police guard in Mr Taseer's security detail. The guard has reportedly said he killed him because Mr Taseer publicly opposed the blasphemy law.