Clement Shahbaz Bhatti (born September 9, 1968) was a Pakistani politician and the first Christian Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs. He was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2008 for the Pakistan People’s Party. He was a fearless critic of the country’s controversial blasphemy laws and a staunch defender of persecuted religious groups, including Christians, Ahmadis, and Sikhs. Before his death, he famously recorded a video message stating, “I want to live for Christ and I want to die for Him“.
On March 2, 2011, Bhatti was assassinated outside his mother’s home by members of the Pakistani Taliban for his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
In March 2016, the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi formally opened his cause for beatification. Pope Francis subsequently conferred the title Servant of God (the first stage in the process of being declared a saint), recognizing his life of sacrifice and witness to faith.
His earthly body rests in a mausoleum is located at a family plot in his home village of Kushpur, Pakistan, which also hosts a museum dedicated to his life.