Islamabad, Pakistan -- A Pakistani government minister who had said he was getting death threats because of his opposition to a controversial blasphemy law was shot to death Wednesday. 

Shahbaz Bhatti was the only Christian member of the Cabinet in Pakistan, where 95 percent of people are Muslim. He served as the government's minister of minority affairs. 

He was shot and killed in Islamabad on Wednesday morning, Pakistani police said. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

"(The) assassination of Bhatti is a message to all of those who are against Pakistan's blasphemy laws," said Ihsanullah Ihsan, a Taliban spokesman. 

Bhatti had been critical of the law, saying at one point, "I am ready to sacrifice my life for the principled stand I have taken because the people of Pakistan are being victimized under the pretense of blasphemy law." 

Other officials have also been targeted for opposing the blasphemy law, which makes it a crime punishable by death to insult Islam, the Quran or the Prophet Mohammed. 

In January, the governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was assassinated by his security guard because he spoke out against the law. 

After Taseer's death, Bhatti pledged to continue pushing for amendments in the law. 

"I will campaign for this ... these fanatics cannot stop me from moving any further steps against the misuse of (the) blasphemy law," he said at the time. 

Bhatti said he was facing threats on his life, but was not afraid. 

"I was told by the religious extremists that if you will make any amendments in this law, you will be killed," he said. 
When?
In January