Today marks the 12th death anniversary of Salmaan Taseer Shaheed, who was assassinated at an upscale market in Islamabad on this date in 2011. His fault: As governor of Punjab, he visited a Christian woman facing blasphemy charges and assured her that he would do all in his power to avert her execution. Though his assassin was executed in 2016, Salmaan Taseer’s assassination has left a lingering question for anybody living in or concerned about Pakistan: “Is this the Pakistan where our children and grandchildren will grow up and live?” Pakistan needs more people like Salmaan Taseer Shaheed to lead the country towards a more progressive, forward-thinking future. As a businessman, Salmaan Taseer established the best corporate culture; as a politician, he spoke out against anti-people legislation; as a publisher, he founded a progressive media to give a voice to Pakistan, and as a governor and chancellor of public universities, he advocated for educational changes. On his last day of life, he tweeted just to address Pakistan’s future: “Apple is worth more than $300 billion. In other words, there are far more than 180 million Pakistanis. Something our politicians should think about.” This demonstrates his understanding of the importance of science and technology education. But his departure brought about a huge awakening in Pakistan. Now, an increasing number of people and the state are opposing victimization motivated by religion. It is undeniable that criminals still carry out random acts of violence, but the state and a progressive society respond to these aspects in a way that is reasonable. Recently, under the guise of a hooliganism event at Masjid-i-Nabvi, the government attempted to file blasphemy proceedings against opposition activists, including former prime minister Imran Khan. However, the government was unable to move on with its plan. The murderers of a Sri Lankan manager in Sialkot have received judicial sentences. Salmaan Taseer stood as a spokesperson for harmony and tolerance. Like no one else, he stood up for minorities rights. Salmaan Taseer was a courageous man who never held back while defending the truth, the weak, the marginalised, and the rights of women and minorities. His martyrdom also showed us that the truth remains. Salmaan Taseer’s blood will not be wasted and soon a tolerant society, as envisaged by the martyr of Pakistan, will prevail. He will always be remembered. May he rest in eternal peace! *