Security officials examine the bullet-riddled car of slain Pakistan's Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti outside the emergency ward of a hospital in Islamabad. Reuters

Islamabad, Mar 2 (PTI) Pakistan's Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who had sought changes in the controversial blasphemy law, was today assassinated in a gun attack here, the second top leader of the ruling PPP to be killed this year for demanding reform of the harsh statute.

42-year-old Bhatti's car was ambushed near his residence by three to four gunmen in Sector I-8 at about 11.20 am local time in a brazen attack.

Only Bhatti and his driver Gul Sher were in the car and the minister was not accompanied by any security guard at the time of the attack, police said.

Bhatti, the only Christian member of Pakistan's Cabinet, was the second senior leader of the ruling PPP to be assassinated in nearly two months.