KARACHI - President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the assassination of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer on Tuesday and directed Interior Minister Rahman Malik to personally supervise the investigations and report to him urgently. Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that President was informed about the tragic assassination during a meeting of the PPP MPAs of four districts in the Bilawal House after which all the meetings scheduled for Tuesday were postponed to a later date. The President also directed the party leadership that the birthday functions in connection with Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhuttos 83rd birth anniversary on Wednesday (today) be limited only to holding of seminars at district, divisional and provincial levels without fanfare and without cake cutting ceremonies. Quran Khwani for Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Salman Taseer will also be held on Wednesday as part of the birth anniversary functions of partys founding Chairman, he said. The President also asked Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and MNA Faryal Talpur to participate in the funeral on his behalf. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will also participate in the funeral. Describing the assassination as a 'most ghastly crime the President said that no words were strong enough to condemn it. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be punished, he said adding also, they will be punished. Paying tributes the President said that Salman Taseer was endowed with great courage and energy, who employed his gifted qualities in the service of the province and the country.