The killer of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah contacted the brother of a Pakistani religious assassin before his crime.

Taxi driver Tanveer Ahmed on Thursday pled guilty to the murder of Mr Shah, who had broadcast claims he was a prophet online.

It has now emerged that Ahmed was inspired by Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of a Pakistani politician who criticised that country's blasphemy law and was executed earlier this year.

Read more: Asad Shah murder: Shopkeeper killer is a monster, says brother

Mr Qadris brother, Diplazeer Awan, has told the BBC that he was contacted by Ahmed about Mr Shah, whose Facebook postings and Youtube videos contained claims he was a new Jesus.

Mr Awan said: Tanveer Ahmed was very upset and he said it would be good for society if this person was sent to hell as soon as possible."

Speaking to BBC's Newsnight programme, he added: "He told me about a dream where he had seen Mumtaz Qadri and that Mumtaz Qadri sat next to him and told him he loved him.

"He said Mumtaz Qadri told him Allah had chosen him to do a noble duty for religion."

Pictured: Salman Taseer was murdered by Mumtaz Qadri in 2011 for calling for reforms of blasphemy laws

The Herald: Pakistan governor Salman Taseer (pictured) was murdered by Mumtaz Qadri in 2011

Mr Ahmed was a Sufi, traditionally seen as a spiritual and non-violent branch of Islam. So was Qadri, whose execution sparked controversy in both Ahmed's home town of Bradford and Glasgow.

Earlier this year it emerged that the main imam at Glasgow Central Mosque had praised Qadri as "a true Muslim" in a social media exchange that brought Pakistan's often bitter religious politics to Scotland.

Read More: Analysis of Qadri execution's impact on Scottish Mosque politics

Mr Shah was a member of the minority Ahmadi faith, which is persecuted in Pakistan and, unlike other Muslims, does not regard Mohammad as the last prophet.

Mr Shah, however, held views that were very different from Ahmadis - who thought he was unwell - and the High Court in Glasgow heard that he was not killed because he was an Ahmadi.

The court heard that Ahmed had confronted Mr Shah in his shop in Shawlands, demanding that he retract his statements. When he did not Ahmed, 32, repeatedly stabbed, punched and kicked the 40-year-old Mr Shah.

Background: the Youtube videos that inspired a zealot killing

Picture: Tributes to Mr Shah after his killing

The Herald: Floral tributes for Asad Shah

BBC Newsnight has obtained what it said it believed to be a Facebook posting by Ahmed in jail where he suggests beheading as a punishment for blasphemers.

Friends of Ahmed in Bradford struggled to recognise the picture of him as a violent religious zealot.

A former colleague, who worked with Ahmed at the same taxi firm told The Bradford Telegraph and Argus: "He was just a normal guy. I was shocked when I found out it was him.

"When I worked with him he was a big, friendly giant. He never raised his voice, he didn't look threatening.The other drivers never had a disagreement with him.

"He used to come in to work looking clean and fresh and smelling nice. He was probably the last person in the whole office you would have expected to do something like this.

"He was a decent guy. He was deeply religious, but not fanatical. He said to me on a couple of occasions: "You should pray."

Zulfi Karim, of Bradford Council for Mosques, said Ahmed attended a number of Bradford mosques but belonged to the peaceful Sufi Islam section of the religion.

He said: "We are becoming less tolerant, on all sides, when we are different to each other. But this is a one off incident which was absolutely down to the individual. Bradford is a cohesive and tolerant city.

"This horrific incident has left us feeling very insecure and fearful. We struggle with even simple things like being out in public places, something that we used to routinely enjoy. We find it hard to communicate with people, even with our friends. We are no longer as open and affectionate as we were before."

Read more: The Bradford Telegraph and Argus on the killing