The United States said Tuesday that the assassination of the governor of Punjab province, Salmaan Taseer, was a "great loss" because he was trying to stabilise his country. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will offer Washington's condolences to Hussain Haqqani, the Pakistani ambassador to Washington, when she meets him later Tuesday, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.
"From our standpoint, his death is a great loss. He was committed to helping the government and people of Pakistan persevere in their campaign to bring peace and stability to their country," he added.